Journey to esports greatness
The esports industry is booming, with its popularity — and prize money — continually growing. This phenomenon can be traced back to the 1960s, though the first esports competition didn’t take place until 1972. Things really took off in the late ‘90s when PC technology exploded and people began forming the first esports leagues. Today, these events are a huge part of the gaming industry, attracting top players from all over the world.
High-speed internet has enabled gamers to compete on a global scale, but just how successful are today’s esports competitors? And who are they? To find out more, we collected online data about players’ earnings, demographics and more.
Key takeaways
- Male gamers in the top 100 earned an average of over 1,000% more than the top female players.
- Americans make up 40% of the top female players, but in total, they earned less than half of what American male gamers in the top 100 made.
- Millennial players in the top 100 earned 60% more than Gen Z players.
Player one, start!
There are many popular and wealthy esports legends out there. In the first part of our study, we looked at the average earnings among top players and also identified the highest-paying games.
Shadowverse is the top competitor-earning game in esports
It’s undeniable that there’s big money to be won in esports competitions. Our research showed that Shadowverse was the highest-paying game for male esports gamers, while for female gamers, it was StarCraft II. Male gamers in the top 100 earned over $45 million in the past year, while the top female players made under $4 million.
Esports has a large pay gap between male and female competitors
We saw a major discrepancy between the sexes, with top-performing male players earning over 1,000% more than female players. This gap will hopefully start to close as the industry continues to diversify and become more female-friendly.
A large portion of the top 100 earners come from China
In addition to gender differences, we explored where in the world the most prominent esports players were located. According to our research, 29% of the top 100 players were from China and China also accounted for the highest earnings among male players (over $12 million).
Americans dominate amongst esports female players
Interestingly, 40% of the top female players are American, compared to only 11% of the top male players. And despite trailing male gamers by millions of dollars, female American gamers were the highest earners among the top female gamers worldwide.
A young person’s game?
After accounting for gamers’ sexes and nationalities, we explored if age could tell us more about those who’ve reached esports greatness. How young are most professional gamers and do some generations succeed more than others?
Unsurprisingly, millennials and Gen Z command the top 100 in esports
Video games aren’t just for kids anymore, but plenty of them spend hours gaming every day and dream of becoming professionals. We found that the top 100 players ranged in age from 17 to 32, with the highest earners being 31 years old. These gamers within the older range won an average of over $1.2 million in the past year.
Millennials also reported 60% higher winnings than Gen Z players. This finding makes sense, considering that many millennials grew up during the ‘90s gaming boom and are known to be particularly avid gamers.
Top earner under 18 made $300,000 in the past year
In spite of the age stats, younger players are still winning insane amounts of money from esports events. Just look at Danila Yakovenko, the 17-year-old Russian Fortnite player, who has earned more than $300,000 in the past year. That’s an astounding amount for any gamer, especially for one so young and on the rise in the industry.
Zodiac signs and esports performance
Lastly, we wondered about players’ zodiac signs — do their birthdates have anything to do with their esports greatness? It turns out that Tauruses had the highest annual earnings, an average of $654,538, followed by Aries, Gemini and Virgo players. Unfortunately, Aquarius players won the least amount, on average, not even making half that of top-performing Tauruses.
Esports in the future
With the increasing popularity of competitive esports both in the U.S. and abroad now is just as good a time as ever to jump into it. While the esports industry is loaded with male players making millions, many promising female gamers are also in the ranks. It’s an arena thought of as being mostly for young players, but millennials in their early 30s are currently dominating with their winnings. As professional gaming becomes more inclusive and rewarding, the future of esports seems bright. So, game on — because you never know, you could be the next great player in esports history!
Methodology
We collected data from www.esportsearnings.com regarding player earnings in the past year, as well as top-paying video games for those players. Additional data was gathered regarding player age, birthdate and nationality. Hypotheses were then statistically tested.
About Frontier
Frontier provides affordable high-speed and fiber internet to customers across the country. A fast and reliable internet connection reduces download and upload duration, allowing players to spend less time waiting and more time gaming.
Fair use statement
If you’re a gaming enthusiast and enjoyed our study, you’re more than welcome to share. We just ask that you link back to the findings and that your purposes are noncommercial.