Esports is a rapidly growing segment of the humongous video game market and a great way to get involved from the ground up if you’re looking to make some money related to competitive video games. This emerging field offers a wide variety of ways to turn a profit – here are the most notable ones to check out!
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How much money does esports generate?
To call the esports market massive would be one of the greatest understatements of the year. The video game industry has now long surpassed the revenue levels generated by other fields of multimedia like Hollywood and the field of films as a whole. Therefore, it is only logical that its competitive component is rapidly growing into its profitable venture, much more than the mere marketing vehicle it was seen as by game developers of the past.
This means that there are now many different avenues to consider if you’d like to become a part of the esports scene and make some money in the process. From the player, to the event organizer, to the content creator, and enterprising viewer and beyond, anyone can find a juicy little niche to work within this incredibly profitable and quickly ballooning enterprise.
Five strategies to make money with esports
Git gud at a game (become a professional player)
Players are the biggest moneymakers in esports, and it should be of no surprise that becoming one of them is the most reliable way to make big bucks in the world of competitive gaming. If you end up as one of the best Counter-Strike players in the world, a five-digit salary awaits you, with the potential for even more as you get nearer and nearer to the summit.
You’ll find similar opportunities in other popular competitive games like League of Legends, Dota 2, Overwatch, FIFA, and many other titles. Nowadays, even mobile gaming titles offer incredible sums in prize money, like the Call of Duty Mobile Championship with its $2million+ prize pool made available to the competitors.
The number of games and genres with a competitive component keeps increasing over time, which means that you’ll find such opportunities regardless of whether it’s something popular like FPS games or MOBAs or something more niche and exotic like CCGs or fighting games that you’re interested in.
It’s not easy to make it to the top (especially not to stay there as many are keen to take you down). Still, the rapidly increasing professionalization of esports orgs means that there’s a whole stable of support staff available to the best players out there, much like in the case of traditional sports: from dieticians to sports psychologists.
Beyond, even those in the gaming world understand the benefits of squeezing out those extra percentages from a player during the run-up to a big competitive event.
Become a streamer
There’s a reason why most competitive players’ contracts stipulate a content creation aspect to their duties: streaming can be even more lucrative than the pure competition side of things. A large enough audience brings along incredible opportunities – loyal viewers subscribe to your channel with money.
They often donate small sums to support you, not to mention the ad revenue and any sponsorship deals you may clutch based on the number of eyeballs you bring to the table.
The hours, the consistency, and the regularity required to make this a much more difficult job than just “playing a game and babbling about.” However, for those attuned to their audience’s wishes and enjoying the grind, streaming serves as another excellent opportunity to make money with esports.
Create other kinds of content
Though live video content is all the rage these days, this isn’t to say that other kinds of skill sets are worthless in the esports industry. The entire spectrum of content creation is available to you: from graphics designers creating assets for tournament broadcasts (or even individual streamers) to copywriting and article content, and beyond, the consistent growth of the industry means that even these roles can serve as a reliable pathway to make money with esports and end up with a sustainable position, be it on a permanent or a freelance basis.
Explore the world of esports betting
There are many parallels between esports and traditional sports. The competitive nature of both and the fandom surrounding the teams and players may be the first things that come to mind, but a very logical result is the emergence of esports betting. It’s no surprise that most of the biggest bookmakers in the world now offer odds on competitive gaming events, and there is an incredible number of online sites to bet on esports.
Since the industry is still really relatively young, at least compared to regular sporting competitions. Your chances to beat out the bookies with your gaming-specific expertise are much higher than they would be in the case of baseball, hockey, or some other traditional sport.
A good understanding of the metagame and recent gameplay changes can help you figure out a potential upset and turn a profit by betting on esports. This gap has considerably narrowed over the last couple of years as the biggest bookmakers got involved with the scene. Sharp bettors are still flocking to esports in a bid to find an edge on the house that may not be available otherwise in different segments and betting markets.
Become one of the tournament organizers
An underappreciated element of the esports scene is its structural underpinning: this means the companies and people who make the actual tournaments and LAN events happen. Any sort of tech or logistical expertise serves as a great way to get started here.
The rapid and continuous expansion of companies like ESL (not to mention the fact that many events moving worldwide inevitably mean opportunities for local subcontractors as well). It means that joining forces with TOs can also be a lucrative way to get involved with the world of competitive gaming.
Now in 2021, as the industry transitions back from its pandemic-enforced online-only state to offline tournaments, a shift that will no doubt further increase interest in esports going forward.
Conclusion
There has never been a better time to get into esports than today, with its growing mainstream appeal and the ever-increasing amounts of money put into its growth by venture capital groups and individual investors alike.
Even if you’re looking for esports opportunities as solo small-scale ventures, your options are wide-ranging and richly profitable. If you are enthusiastic and well-informed enough about the scene: from content creation to esports betting, truly the sky is the limit should you begin your journey in the exciting world of competitive gaming.
Author bio
Sam Lee is a soccer and games enthusiast with years of in the world of gaming content creation. His favorite games are DOTA 2, and Overwatch and his favorite soccer team is Juventus. Sam’s work has been featured in PC Gamer and Football Times. You can find his content at Safest Betting Sites’ Esports Betting and Soccer Betting hubs.
Twitter: @SBS_Authority
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