The video game industry has become bigger and more profitable than ever. In fact, it ranks much higher than the music and movie industry, hard to believe, right? All thanks to eSports. The eSports markets contributed more than a billion-dollar in revenue. What’s more, this number is expected to double in time to come.
Professional gaming has come a long way in the last few years. What began as a string of hobbies, has transformed into a billion-dollar eSports industry. By playing different video games, it is possible to earn a living. Like online casinos where people are playing slots, poker, and other games to earn some money, eSports players are also playing the games as a source of income. Players check out the top slots on Play Real Money Slots before investing in one.
In time to come, eSports stars are going to have enough money, and professionals will compete for small amounts of accessories and cash. However, now they are competing for millions of dollars every year. Gaming enthusiasts have begun tuning into eSports events at an incredible rate in the last decade. This is mainly because of Twitch.
The biggest games and their players are making a good amount from the games. 2022 is expected to be the highest-paying year in the history of eSports. So, you should know which the highest-paying games are in 2022. If you are planning to delve deeper into the eSports industry and become a professional, make sure you read this list.
1) Dota 2
Almost every news organization has covered the sensational news of how the new version of The International, the Dota 2 World Championship has announced record new prize money.
In the most recent tournament, the publisher had contributed about $1.6 million and the fans contributed $38.4 million. Moreover, the prize money for the World Championship for Dota can be increased if the players buy the annual battle pass for the competition.
The valve can benefit from this since only a small portion of the income from the battle pass goes into the prize pool. So, it’s the most influential publisher when it comes to creating direct value-form eSports.
Each year, Dota 2 supporters are investing more money in the game. This, in turn, is increasing the prize pool.
2) League of Legends
One of the highest-earning and popular eSports is League of Legends. What appeals to a large set of audience is the diverse playing style. It has hundreds of millions of fans across the world.
The game has hosted tournaments that had a prize pool of millions of dollars, while regular events of the games offered $100,000 to its winners throughout the season. Additionally, League of Legends is the most popular as it has joined hands with NBA teams. It even made its place in the mainstream media at times.
The World Championship of League of Legends draws in thousands of viewers. In the seasonal tournaments, bettors will be able to make a lot of money from this game. The World Championship 2006 was $5,070,000. The event winner was South Korean Telecom and it received $2,028, 000 in total because it ranked first in performance.
3) Counter Strike: Global Offensive
How can we leave out Counter Strike: Global Offensive from the list! It has been a consistent rank holder when it comes to highest paying eSports games, every year. The total prize pool in 2021 amounted to $22million. It is expected that the 2022 tournament is going to top the number by a fair amount. And it appears like the game is already off to a good start this year. It has an impressive selection of prize pools.
Two big tournaments have dropped the prize pool already. IEM Katowice 2022 is going to open with a $1 million dollar prize pool, while the BLAST Premier has been set at $2.47 million across all the events.
Regardless of the player having to dice up and split most of the prize amount, CS: GO is one of the highest-earning eSports of 2022.
4) Overwatch
Blizzard has a name for launching good games in the eSports realm. This is something that everyone should know about the gaming company. It has come up with some of the highest-paid eSports. In fact, they are making moves every day.
Even though Overwatch is a relatively new game in this field, it has been able to establish itself as one of the well-known eSports. It has given over $5 million cash prize since 2016. But the game is yet to produce some top players who live only on their professional earnings from the game. It is slowly making its way to the top of the eSports ladder.
5) Arena of Valor
Arena of Valor is quite similar to League of Legends and is a competitive MOBA. But eSports is played only on a mobile. The primary market of the game is East Asia and had been created by TiMi, the company that is responsible for creating Pokemon UNITE that had been launched across the world in 2021.
In 2022, the World International Championship of Andrea featured a $2 million dollar prize pool. This is not even the biggest amount. The Arena of Valor World Cup 2022 is breaking all records by offering a $10 million dollar prize. It is the highest that has ever been seen. $3.5 of this amount is going to go to the winners. Even though it is a mobile eSport, it is bringing a large amount of money. In fact, the top individual players of the game are making more than half a million every year.
Moreover, the 2022 Arena of Valor World Championship is going to be combined with Honor of Kings, the real Chinese version of the worldwide spinoff, almost tripling the yearly prize pool.
Bottom Line
The size of the annual prize pool will tell you a lot about the popularity of eSports and how well it is received among the players. 2022 is expected to be the highest paying year when it comes to eSports and this list will give you a fair idea about the highest-earning and paying eSports games of 2022. You know what you can walk away with when you play and win.
