10 Countries with the Highest eSports Earnings
Bogdan LashchenkoWith close to 500 million watching competitive gaming by the of 2020, it’s time to figure out which are the top 10 countries for eSports earnings. While some of the entrants are to be expected, there are high-flying nations that will surprise you. For starters, it’s not all about online casino games in the great white north of Canada.
1. USA
According to the latest eSports earnings data , the USA sails into the number one spot after generating $171.239 million from 19,768 players. After delving into the data, it can be confirmed that more than 10 US players have won more than $1 million. Topping the list is a user called Bugha, whose real name is Kyle Giersdorf. Thus far, Kyle has won $3.172 million, with the majority coming from Fortnite. The other games to feature in the top 20 include Dota 2, Call of Duty, and Counter-Strike.
2. China
Although China comes in second to the US, it’s impressive to see that only 4,916 players have combined to win $133.394 million. When analyzing the Chinese stars, it can be revealed that Lu Yao has succeeded in winning more than $3 million by playing Dota 2, which is the dominant game and is played by 41 of the top 50 performers in China. Thus far, 27 Chinese players have become millionaires from winning at Dota 2.
3. South Korea
South Korea is third on the list and is the only other country to generate more than $100 million. To be precise, $101.175 million has been won by 4,206 South Korean players. Faker is the most successful of them, having earned $1.259 million alone from League of Legends. So far, no other player from South Korea has generated more than $1 million. However, Duke and four others are close after winning more than $900,000 each.
4. Sweden
After the top three, there is a significant drop-off down to fourth, where 2,701 Swedish players have won $40.630 million. Despite generating less as a nation, Sweden has still spawned two notable stars in the form of Gustav Magnusson and Ludwig Wåhlberg, each of whom has won $2.5 million competing in Dota 2. Ludwig Wåhlberg (Zai) is another top performer, having accumulated $2.546 million. Johan Åström (pieliedie) is close to $1 million at $989,390.
5. Denmark
Denmark is one of the most interesting nations, having amassed $40.512 million from 1,686 players. However, the interest stems from Danish player N0tail emerging as one of the highest earning stars in eSports . Johan Sundstein, which is N0tail’s real name, has won $6.972 million from Dota 2. So far, eight other Danish eSports players have made more than a million from their gaming skills.
6. France
Separated by more than $6 million, France lands sixth on the list with $34.431 million from 4,341 players. Sébastien Debs, aka Ceb, dominates the French field, having amassed $5.573 million on Dota 2. No other eSports player in France has won $1 million in prize money from eSports. The closest, for now, would be Skite and apEX with approximately $850,000 each. Currently, six French players from the top 10 focus on playing Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
7. Russia
From a rank of seventh, Russia could be a nation to watch for the coming years. Having earned $33.121 million from 3,056 players, Russia is in a strong position to make a run on the top five. From fourth, however, it would be a steep climb to catch South Korea, China, or the US. So far, four Russian players have won more than $1 million and all of them have earned their winnings from Dota 2. Beyond them, 11 of the top 20 Russian players have made the most by focussing on Counter-Strike.
8. Canada & Video Slots
According to the latest figures, Canada ranks eighth on the list, generating $30.999 million from 3,056 players. While eSports will dominate the bulk of their schedules, users can also play video slots that relate to the Canadians in their downtime. In fact, that link can provide Canadians with an array of Canadian-themed slot games that are available at the top online casino sites. Getting back to eSports, Artour Babaev (Arteezy) and Kurtis Ling (Aui_2000) scored more than $2 million from playing Dota 2.
9. Germany
Germany appears shortly after Canada in ninth, having amassed $29.914 million worth of eSports earnings. With a boost in performance, Germany could soon target an increase on the list. Of the 4,757 German players, Kuro Takhasomi (KuroKy) leads the way with $5.215 million from focusing on Dota 2. Adrian Trinks (FATA) is also a Dota 2 specialist, having won $1.329 million from the game. After Trinks, there is a big drop to Mohammed Harkous (Mo_aubameyang) in third, who focuses on playing FIFA to win more than $372,000 thus far.
10. Finland
Creeping into the top 10 is Finland – an entry that might surprise some of you. However, the nation has earned its rightful place, based on 1,637 eSports players accruing $26.603 million worth of earnings from competitive events. Jesse Vainikka, aka JerAx, is the top performer with $6.470 million generate from Dota 2. However, the retired player could soon be overtaken by Topson ($5.490 million) or Matumbaman ($3.787 million), who also focus on Dota 2.
Best of the Rest
When analyzing the top eSports players at eGamers World , it looks like Russia could be primed for a run up the top 10, as led by the likes of Denis Sharipov, Egor Vasilyev, and Ilya Zalutskiy. However, it would be more interesting if Ukraine could break into the top 10 from position number 14. If it happens, then Aleksandr Kostyliev and Danylo Teslenko would surely be integral in the mission. Anathan Pham (Ana) is an Australian player who is worth monitoring. After starting at 16, Ana has won more than $6 million from Dota 2.
Bogdan Lashchenko – content manager at EgamersWorld.Bogdan has been working at EGamersWorld since 2023. Joining the company, he began fillin the site with information, news and events.