Top 15 Highest Paid eSport and video games players
“Do your homeworks, Video Games won’t get you money when you grow up ! “
“Video Games are for those with no life or work”
And similar sentences we’ve all heard every once in a while from our families while playing our favorite games , it’s our own sport , yes .. sport , a sport that now has its professional players and its fans, even its own prizes and tournaments !
E-sport is now a thing , it rose to popularity in the past few years , it now defines the ultimate challenge of video games players who put winning as their main goal and take the prize home , this is what these professionals do for living and we’ll name a few who are the top , highly paid players in this field ..
15. Park ‘Lyn’ Joon – $317,000 from 77 tournaments
korean Park “Lyn” Joon got most of his cash playing “WarCraft III.” his biggest prize money from a single tournament was $25,000 in 2009.
14. Jerry ‘EGM’ Lundqvist – $340,000 from 29 tournaments
Jerry “EGM” Lundquist from Sweden has almost made $20,000 from seven tournaments in 2014 alone. Last year he cashed in $287,000 from a single tournament playing “Dota 2” as a part of his team “The Alliance” that made a total of more than $1.4 million.
13. Henrik ‘AdmiralBulldog’ Ahnberg – $344,000 from 36 tournaments
Another Swede ,Henrik “AdmiralBulldog” Ahnberg, earned $287,000 from a single tournament playing “Dota 2.” He’s taken first place in 18 tournaments.
12. Gustav ‘s4’ Magnusson – $344,000 from 38 tournaments
11. Joakim ‘Akke’ Akterhall – $349,000 from 47 tournaments
Joakim “Akke” Akterhall is also from Sweden. Besides being involved in the competitive “Dota” scene since 2006, he also won the Nintendo Swedish Championships three times: in 2004, 2006, and 2012.
10. Jonathan ‘Loda’ Berg – $355,000 from 47 tournaments
Jonathan “Loda” Berg is just like the previous players from Sweden, has been on 12 different teams. Gained his fame after joining “The Alliance” in 2013. He’s taken first place in 23 tournaments.
9. Jung “Mvp” Jong Hyun – $393,000 from 50 tournaments
Jung “Mvp” Jong Hyun, from Korea, plays both “StarCraft: Brood War” and “StarCraft II.” His largest prize was $50,000 from playing “StarCraft II” in a tournament in 2011.
8. Jang ‘Moon’ Jae Ho – $439,000 from 81 tournaments
South Korean Jang “Moon” Jae Ho is one of the “WarCraft III” and “StarCraft II” players featured in the documentary “Beyond the Game.” He made $12,000 from two tournaments before he was even 18 years old.
7. Lee ‘Flash’ Young Ho – $447,000 from 47 tournaments
Lee “Flash” Young Ho, a Korean “StarCraft: Brood War” and “StarCraft II” player, earned $269,000 before the age of 18.
6. Clement ‘Puppey’ Ivanov – $450,000 from 39 tournaments
Estonian, Clement “Puppey” Ivanov has also earned a respectable amount from competitive “Dota 2.”
5. Jang ‘MC’ Min Chul – $452,000 from 78 tournaments
One of the top “StarCraft 2” players in the world, Korea’s Jang Min Chul has made more than $450,000 by regularly placing in tournaments of all sizes since 2010.
4. Oleksandr ‘XBOCT’ Dashkevych – $453,000 from 41 tournaments
Another “Dota 2” champion, Ukraine’s Dashkevych has been raking in the money since 2011.
3. Johnathan ‘Fatal1ty’ Wendel – $454,000 from 36 tournaments
The world’s first prominent professional gamer, America’s Johnathan Wendel’s success playing first-person shooters earned him massive cash prizes and sponsorship deals with the biggest computer hardware companies in the world (like Asrock that released a gaming motherboards line by the name of Fatal1ty).
2. Danil ‘Dendi’ Ishutin – $455,000 from 43 tournaments
Ukrainian Danil “Dendi” Ishutin made $200,000 playing “Dota 2” in a single tournament.
1. Lee ‘Jaedong’ Jae Dong – $519,000 from 52 tournaments
Korea’s Lee Jae Dong made huge sums playing “StarCraft: Brood War” before moving on to “StarCraft 2” in 2012. In the second half of 2013, Jaedong became one of the world’s top “StarCraft” players.
Now , after seeing these players’ successful journey , do you still think that gaming is about fun ? for them , video games are challenges and adventures while being jobs and ways of life , grab the chance in achieving your dream and be a pro in your favorite game , who knows .. maybe you’d become one of them , by starting your journey right here with us , eSports Middle East – ESME.
