It’s been widely publicized how the gaming industry is more financially successful than both the music and movie industries combined. Aside from your usual console and mobile games, a big part of the money equation comes down to electronic sports or esports.
Not only does gaming make tons of money from electronic sports events and tournaments, but gamers and esports athletes themselves have garnered almost celebrity-like status in their given game. They also make a pretty penny as a (really, really big) bonus.
In this article, we’ll be taking a look at some of the highest-earning E-Sports Athletes for each of the most popular games this 2023. Our list is going to be based on data from Esports Charts — an online analytical service that provides metrics for esports broadcasts and live streams. In particular, we’ll be taking a look at each player’s total winnings, as recorded on Esports Charts.
If you’re interested in looking at more in-depth data from Esports Charts, you can visit their site here.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the highest-earning E-Sports Athletes in 2023!
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Highest-Earning E-Sports Athletes for Each Game in 2023!
DOTA 2 – Johan “N0tail” Sundstein
First on our list is Danish DOTA 2 superstar Johan Sundstein, more commonly known as N0tail. Not only is N0tail the highest-earning gamer in DOTA 2, but he also ranks number one on the list of highest-earning gamers in general!
The Team OG Captain has garnered a massive USD $7,184,163 in terms of winnings from DOTA 2 esports competitions.
This is comprised of a massive 58 tournaments and 307 matches overall. He has played in four The International (TI) championship tournaments, winning twice (2018 and 2019), and has won four DOTA Major championships. N0tail is widely considered one of the best DOTA 2 players of all time, and as we’ve seen, he has the checks and the cash winnings to back it up.
League of Legends – Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok
Widely considered as League of Legends’ best player ever, Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok is next on our list.
Photo from EarlyGame.com
The T1 mid-laner has won three World Championships, 10 League of Legends Champions Korea titles, and two Mid-Season Invitationals (MSI). He has also won one World Championship Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, an MSI MVP, two LCK season MVPs, and many more individual accomplishments to boot.
His in-game success has turned into USD $1,470,490 in total winnings from 12 tournaments and over 151 matches. Many consider him the “Michael Jordan” of esports and given his total winnings and tournament dominance, it’s pretty clear why.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO) – Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen
Next up is Team Vitality’s very own entry fragger, Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen. dupreeh is one of, if not the most, decorated CSGO players in the history of the game.
He has played for Team Dignitas, Team SoloMid, Team Vitality, and of course, Astralis. He has won five CSGO Major championships (four with Astralis) — earning himself and his team a ton of team winnings.
Photo from Liquipedia
In total, dupreeh has garnered USD $2,181,164 in winnings from a whopping 30 tournaments and 160 matches. As a key part of what’s considered as one of the best CSGO lineups in history, dupreeh’s massive success is definitely well-deserved and well-earned. The big winnings don’t hurt to have as well.
Fortnite – Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf
Rounding out our list is one of the most successful Fortnite players so far, Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf.
Photo from EarlyGame.com
Winning the 1st Annual Fortnite World Cup in 2019, Bugha cemented himself as one of the mainstays of the Fortnite scene with his overwhelming 59-point victory during the inaugural tournament.
His World Cup win alone earned him USD $3,000,000, with Esports Charts stating that he has amassed a total of USD $3,534,161 in winnings. Given Fortnite’s rise in popularity in just the past few years, it’s no wonder why Bugha has raked in the cash with his title as the game’s very first esports world champion.
There we have it, some of the highest-earning esports athletes in the world this 2023! Who’s your favorite esports athlete of all time? Are there any other games you want us to feature next?
Let us know in the comments down below!
