A look at the highest-earning eSports players in the world

A new study from King Casino Bonus has provided insight into who are the richest eSports players globally from prize money earned.

The eSports landscape is ever-growing with its global market size estimated to hit $5.48 billion by 2029. This rise has influenced major gaming firms to invest more focus on eSports in recent years.

The top 21 earners overall are all players of the multiplayer battle arena game, Dota 2, with most of their earnings coming from that video game. Three of the top 10 players are from Finland, with the country 12^th in the highest earnings list.

Top of the earnings list is 29-year-old Johan Sundstein from Denmark. Under the player id of N0tail, his total earnings amount to £5,962,855 from competing in 130 tournaments. Success in the eSports field saw him at 25 years of age featured in 2019's Forbes 30 Under 30 list in gaming.

Whilst representing the team he co-founded, OG, he amassed his highest-ever earning from a tournament. Success at The International 2019 through a first-place finish earned him £2,599,354. 43 per cent of his total earnings came from this victory.

Second on the rankings is Finland's Jesse Vainikka, known as JerAx, with earnings of £5,384,167. From also finishing in first place at The International 2019, his highest earnings from the 68 cash-rewarding competitions he has competed in are £2,599,354. That victory makes up 48 per cent of the 30-year-old's total earnings.

Anathan 'ana' Pham is third with total earnings of £5,000,261 from 26 cash-rewarding tournaments entered. The 23-year-old Australian member of OG has won a Major championship on two occasions.

In addition, he came out on top in the 2018 and 2019 International. His first-place finish with OG, also contributed to his highest earnings for a single tournament, with 51 per cent of his overall prize money coming from there.

The fourth highest is ex-OG member Sebastien 'Ceb' Debs from France. From 67 tournaments the 30-year-old has earned £4,833,844. The International 2019 earned him the most for a tournament with a prize of £2,599,354, making up 53 per cent of his overall earnings.

Finland's Topias "Topson" Taavitsainen comes in at fifth, with the 24-year-old having earned £4,730,160 in total from 33 tournaments. As another member of OG, his highest earning is also £2,599,354. That victory contributes to 54 per cent of his total prize money.

German Kuro "KuroKy" Takhasomi is the sixth highest with the 30-year-old earning £4,383,352.62 from 126 tournaments. The International 2017 saw him win his biggest amount as he won £1,807,658 in prize money. Competing as a member of Team Liquid, that victory makes up 41 per cent of his total prize earnings.

KuroKy has earned money from playing Defence of the Ancients and Artifact Classic. However, like most, a very large majority of his earnings come from playing Dota 2, with 99.97 per cent of the figure in this case.

In seventh is also a winning member of Team Liquid from The International 2017. 25-year-old Jordanian and Polish Amer "Miracle-" Al-Barkawi has earned £4,052,130 from 77 tournaments. Just like KuroKy, Miracle- also earned £1,807,658 in prize money from The International 2017. That makes up for 44 per cent of his total earnings.

Lasse "Matumbaman" Urpalainen of Finland is ranked eighth with earnings of £4,044,931 from 87 tournaments. The 28-year-old was also a member of Team Liquid from The International 2017. His highest winning total is the same amount as KuroKy and Miracle-, making up 43 per cent of his total winnings.

The ninth spot is held by Bulgarian Ivan "MinD_ContRoL" Ivanov, with £3,872,082 earned from 87 tournaments. The 28-year-old was another member of Team Liquid from The International 2017, so his highest single earnings are also £1,807,658.

Lebanon's Maroun "GH" Merhej takes up the last spot in the top 10, with earnings of £3,551,947 from 66 tournaments. The 27-year-old was another member of Team Liquid from The International 2017, so his largest single earnings are also £1,807,658.

The International 2017 was at the time the highest prize pool in eSports history.

King Casino Bonus elaborated on the data and highlighted eSports upwards trajectory with a spokesperson claiming, "eSports has redefined sport and is seeing increased growth every year, with the number of fans predicted to grow to 318 million in 2025."

They also mention the high prize earnings within eSports "reflects the industry's popularity worldwide, with millions of dollars available to elite players."

Furthermore, they highlighted how beyond the top-earning 21 players paying Dota 2, "the 22^nd ranking player Kyle "Bugha" Giersdorf from the USA, is a Fortnite player."

Out of the top 50 highest earners in eSports, only six do not have Dota 2 as their highest-paying game. For the 44 other players who do, a very large majority have earned all their prize money from just Dota 2.