Leading eSports players worldwide 2024, by overall earnings

The leading eSports player worldwide ranked by overall earnings was Johan Sundstein. Originally from Denmark and also known as N0tail, Sundstein has so far earned over seven million U.S. dollars throughout his recorded eSports gaming career.

The rise of eSports

Video gaming is no longer a pastime of purported home-dwellers or arcade-loitering individuals; the professionalization of this activity has now validated it as a career choice for talented players to earn millions and sign lucrative sponsorship deals. What is more, the easy accessibility of eSports has been attracting audiences of all kinds. In 2022, 261 million eSports enthusiasts were identified to regularly follow the industry, with an even larger number of occasional viewers who tuned in to watch the bigger events. This figure is projected to grow steadily to a total of almost 650 million by 2025.

eSports market growth

Even though eSports is still in its formative stage, its market is already experiencing a rapid growth. In 2022, worldwide revenues generated in the eSports market amounted to an estimated 1.38 billion U.S. dollars. By 2025, the market is expected to generate almost 1.87 billion U.S. dollars. These revenues come from betting, prize pools and tournaments, but overwhelmingly from sponsorship, which was estimated to bring in around 837 million U.S. dollars in 2022. In terms of revenue, China is the largest eSports market overall, generating an estimated 360.1 million U.S. dollars within the industry.