An Analysis of the Most Competitive eSports Nations: The Top 10 Countries in the World by Earnings

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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• The total prize money won by players from each nation across different eSports tournaments determines the ranking of countries that made the most money from competitive gaming.
• Bigger countries and countries with bigger player bases don’t necessarily have greater eSports earnings.
• The top 10 nations in terms of eSports earnings have each established their own niches in the market.

Photo: Esports tournament’s set-up
(https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/esports-championship-blue-background-3d-illustration_32236167.htm#fromView=search&page=1&position=10&uuid=b3ee3b92-873b-437d-8d53-007fbe294ee4&query=esports)

From a specialized pastime to a multibillion-dollar worldwide industry, eSports has grown quickly, enthralling millions of followers and opening up new doors for professional gamers. The overall revenue from competitive gaming is a crucial indicator of the expansion and prosperity of eSports in different geographical areas. Knowing which nations earn the most from eSports provides insight into the global environment of this rapidly expanding sector.

This post will examine the most recent rankings of the top 10 nations by eSports revenue, highlighting the distinct advantages and difficulties that each country faces. We’ll compare the main elements that affect their rankings and look at how various games affect their performance. Thousands of professionals throughout the world already make a living from gaming, so top players make even more money. Additionally, eSports games have drawn the interest of bookmakers, some of whom profit handsomely from esport betting.

This article will provide you a thorough look at the top country-earners in eSports, regardless of whether you’re a competitive gaming fan or simply interested in the worldwide gaming landscape. Based on data found online, this list additionally shows which players in each of the top 10 nations have earned the highest cash prizes. Official pronouncements, news stories, forum postings, live report threads, interviews, trustworthy databases, VODs, and other publicly available sources that preserve historical information are examples of sources.

How We Picked the Top 10 Nations for eSports Earnings?

The topic of which nations excel at eSports in terms of revenue is somewhat complicated. Large nations like the US or China have more elite players than smaller nations like Denmark or Sweden, which makes sense in a manner. However, some of the world’s highest-paid gamers reside in relatively tiny (population-wise) nations, like those two from Scandinavia. We didn’t focus on that, though, but on choosing the nations with the greatest total incomes for our list below.

The biggest eSports nations may be ranked by population; however, that would be erroneous. Rather, we must examine the relationship between total incomes and population. For instance, Brazil ranks fifth on our list, behind Russia and South Korea, despite having a greater population than both. Furthermore, eSports markets in the US and Asia are enormous, while the European market is just somewhat larger. As a result, it makes perfect sense to include the biggest eSports nations in terms of player numbers and overall revenue.

Do geographically bigger countries have better eSports scenes than smaller ones? One would think that the biggest nations provide the best talent because of the enormous amount of eSports competitors. However, this isn’t always the case. For instance, Denmark ranks sixth in terms of overall eSports earnings while having just 5.9 million citizens. In essence, great players are more likely to emerge in larger nations, but this doesn’t imply that they’ll be superior to others.

The Top 10 Earnings by Country in eSports, Ranked

This article will examine the top 10 eSports nations in terms of cumulative revenue over time, with the end of 2024 as a closing point. Even if it’s not a flawless ranking system, it nonetheless provides us with a useful cue.

# 1 China (US$321,943,361.77; 9,100 Players)

From the get-go, it’s evident that China and the United States, which came in second, have significantly different numbers of active players. China has around 20,000 fewer players than the US. However, in terms of total earnings, they are more than US$30 million ahead of the US. Chinese squads have performed exceptionally well in a variety of national and international competitions to earn that much more money, despite having a significantly smaller professional player base. In addition, China has a huge eSports scene and is economically dominating the world.

The gaming and competitive heritage of Chinese eSports is a fantastic feature. Chinese players are (with Koreans) the greatest in Asia and possibly the world because the Chinese scene has consistently had the highest skill level in several games. They’ve made over US$321m in total so far, which is incredibly substantial given that they’ve had just under 5,000 professional eSports players until two to three years ago.

Dota 2 competitor Wang “Ame” Chunyu is the wealthiest player in China. Speaking of this particular game, it’s undeniable that Chinese eSports is powerful in it because nearly all the top 40 earners play it. Another important game is League of Legends, where Chinese teams regularly compete at the top level. Teams such as LGD Gaming and Royal Never Give Up have continuously been rated as some of the greatest in the world. Players that have helped China dominate eSports, e.g. “Ame” and Zhang “y`” Yiping, are praised for their achievements.

China’s devoted eSports academies, government sponsorship, and sizable player base are its main advantages. However, there are difficulties, such as government regulation and limitations on the hours that children are allowed to play video games.

# 2 USA (US$289,832,048.21; 28,285 Players)

With a population of over 340 million, the United States of America remains one of the wealthiest nations on earth. It’s the birthplace of numerous eSports champions and is home to some of the best eSports teams and players in the world. In League of Legends’ first and second seasons, TSM (Team SoloMid) turned into a worldwide sensation, making the competitive gaming players nearly as famous as well-known athletes from traditional sports.

Numerous video games that have been poured into eSports tournaments, such as Call of Duty and Fortnite, are also developed in the United States. Several of the world’s best teams, including Cloud9, Evil Geniuses, and FaZe Clan, are still active today and have even expanded into other eSports. With perhaps the biggest gaming and eSports market, the US hosts hundreds of professional competitions annually. It should come as a surprise that US players haven’t made the most money—even though they made an incredible US$289 million—of any eSports nation. Kyle Giersdorf, also known as “Bugha”, is the highest-paid player in the United States. His total winnings as a professional Fortnite player total US$3,744,925.05. Fortnite, Dota 2, and Call of Duty are the games with the highest winnings for the nation.

Strong infrastructure, sponsorships, and a varied talent base are all advantages for the United States. Nonetheless, the scene is heavily marketed, which occasionally sparks debates about player welfare and the long-term viability of the competitive atmosphere.

# 3 South Korea (US$153,348,066.16; 5,941 Players)

One of the original countries of eSports was South Korea. In addition to being one of the nations where players can make the most money, it also hosted a large number of the earliest tournaments. LCK continues to be one of the most important eSports competitions in the world. Even the first StarCraft LAN events, which are still dominated by Korean players, were held there. Korean gamers are also quite good at League of Legends, Dota 2, CS2, Rocket League, Overwatch, Hearthstone, and many other games in addition to StarCraft II. In their own country, Korean players are frequently regarded as small celebrities, and they receive greater notoriety and popularity than players from other nations.

Thousands of incredibly skilled and seasoned eSports players from South Korea are regarded as some of the best in the world. South Korean teams are very disciplined, adhere to rigorous game plans, and put a lot of emphasis on training. They’ve achieved success in a variety of games thanks to these traits, and their cumulative earnings have reached an astounding US$153 million. They are still well behind China in terms of total revenue, even though they have just about 3,000 fewer players. The sole explanation for this is that some games—like Dota 2, for instance—are disliked by South Korean gamers. They are losing out since some of these games feature tournaments with enormous prize pools. Even so, Lee Sang-Hyeok, also known as “Faker” worldwide, is their top earner (US$1,816,084.56). In terms of gaming, League of Legends, StarCraft II, and PUBG are their top picks.

With specialized arenas and training facilities, South Korea boasts an extremely sophisticated eSports ecosystem. Tough training schedules and a strong cultural acceptance underpin the country’s eSports scene. However, players are under a lot of strain, which has raised worries about burnout and mental health.

# 4 Russia ($90,080,593.64; 5,575 Players)

Even though its population is about 144 million and not the largest in the world, Russia is by far the largest country by area. This indicates a large number of eager and youthful video game players seeking achievement. Even President Vladimir Putin is in favor of eSports in classrooms. It’s noteworthy that Russia was seventh in terms of overall earnings until recently, but that has subsequently changed.

Dota 2 and CS2 are the most popular eSports games in Russia, as well as the ones that generate the highest revenue. The top 10 earners from Russia all play Dota 2, with a few Counter-Strike players. “Miposhka”, whose real name is Yaroslav Naidenov, is the nation’s greatest earner. His total income is US$5,891,771.49. Russian teams frequently have two or three teams qualify for the main events and receive favorable seeding in the majority of big CS2 and VALORANT tournaments. This demonstrates how strong the CIS region is in these two eSports competitions.

Russia’s success in eSports has been largely attributed to teams like Virtus.pro and Team Spirit. The scene in the nation is distinguished by its adaptability and durability. A large talent pool and an ardent fan base are two of Russia’s advantages. The scene does, however, confront obstacles such as a lack of funding and political problems that may affect global competition. The war against Ukraine forced many top teams from Russia to relocate.

# 5 Brazil (US$68,610,560.82; 5,626 Players)

In just three years, Brazilian eSports went from 12th to fifth place—a significant increase in revenue. Additionally, the eSports league BBL (Bad Boy Leeroy) has its own stadium in São Paulo devoted to competitive gaming. Brazil has historically had a sizable eSports fan base, with some elite teams and competitors in every discipline of eSports. Nevertheless, except for Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa, also known as “PVDDR”, practically all of their top earners play CS2 or Rainbow Six Siege. Up until 2022, “PVDDR” was the sixth highest-paid player in Brazil while competing in Magic: The Gathering Arena, a role-playing tabletop game. The top five earners all play CS2, with Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo de Alcântara Sguario (US$1,253,665.79) being the richest gamer in Brazil.

Apart from Counter-Strike, the other game that contributes most to Brazil’s eSports revenue is Free Fire. Brazilian teams are renowned for their tenacity and aggressive playstyles. Teams such as FURIA Esports contributed to the nation’s scene’s dynamism and passion. A sizable and active fan base and an increasing number of gifted players are two of Brazil’s advantages. The scene’s full potential is nevertheless hampered by issues like inadequate funding and infrastructure.

# 6 Denmark (US$61,947,755.92; 2,137 Players)

Despite its tiny size compared to other nations on our list, Denmark is a major contributor to eSports. With teams like Astralis dominating CS2, Danish players are highly successful on the international eSports scene. Furthermore, veteran League of Legends players would surely recall Copenhagen Wolves’ glory.

Despite having fewer players than Sweden at one point, Denmark now controls the Scandinavian scene. Johan Sundstein, who goes by the moniker “N0tail”, is another genuine monster from Denmark. Over his career, he has amassed an incredible fortune, which now totals US$7,184,163.05! At the moment, “N0tail” is the wealthiest eSports player in the world.

The main factor influencing Denmark’s eSports revenue is CS2. Astralis and other Danish teams have won numerous big titles and dominated the world scene. Strong teamwork, purposeful innovation, and a welcoming environment are the reasons for Denmark’s success in computer science. However, if the game’s popularity declines, the nation’s eSports ecosystem may be vulnerable due to its heavy reliance on this one title.

# 7 France (US$58,849,136.75; 6,379 Players)

Some of the best eSports teams in the world, like Karmine Corp, Team Vitality, and LDLC OL (which was recently shut down), are based in France. The majority of these teams have representatives in a number of eSports, including CS2, Call of Duty, Hearthstone, and FIFA. Despite not being a major eSports superpower, France is home to some of the world’s best competitive gamers. It still has a long way to go before it makes it to the top, though, as it has earned about US$100 million less than Korea, having nearly 400 more active players.

Despite the fact that its wealthiest players play Dota 2, League of Legends and CS2 are the most lucrative eSports games in France. One of the major players in French eSports, Sébastien “Ceb” Debs, has accumulated US$5,947,442.73. The scene in the nation is distinguished by its inventiveness and enthusiasm. France has several advantages in eSports, including a vibrant community, government backing, and an increasing number of skilled competitors. Nevertheless, the scene must contend with issues including limited funding and the requirement for more infrastructural development.

# 8 Sweden (US$56,884,833.68; 3,309 Players)

Despite its tiny size in comparison to countries like the US and China, Sweden has achieved remarkable success in the global eSports arena. The nation is home to some of the best CS2 players, including Olof “olofmeister” Kajbjer Gustafsson and Patrik “f0rest” Lindberg. In addition, players like Ludwig “Zai” Wåhlberg are proud representatives of the Swedish Dota 2 scene. The DreamHack competitions are also held throughout the nation.

The most popular gaming genres in Sweden are similar to those in Russia (CS2 and Dota 2). “Zai” comes out as the Swedish player with the highest worldwide earnings, with an incredible US$4,292,756.02. The scene in Sweden is distinguished for its duration and expertise. Strong organizational backing, seasoned players, and a vibrant eSports culture are some of its advantages. But the scene is getting more and more competitive, and it will take ongoing investment and innovation to hold its place.

# 9 Germany (US$51,581,757.87; 6,683 Players)

Germany is gradually dominating the eSports scene. It was one of the first nations to grant eSports players a visa, and the number of eSports contests in the nation is growing. Some of the top European teams, including SK Gaming, BIG, and G2 Esports, are based here.

Even if Germany is penultimate among the top 10 eSports nations in terms of revenue, there are still a few true competitive gaming legends competing under the German flag. The renowned Dota 2 player Kuro Takhasomi, also known as “KuroKy”, is actually the highest-paid German. His overall income is US$5,295,698.85, or 11% of the nation’s total eSports revenue. Dota 2, CS2, and Hearthstone are the games that generate the most revenue for Germany.

A developed eSports scene, robust organizational support, and government assistance are among Germany’s advantages. But the scene is very competitive, and it takes constant investment and innovation to stay at the top.

# 10 Canada (US$49,189,522.67; 4,219 Players)

There’s a thriving eSports scene in the “Great White North” as well, What’s important to notice is friendly competition and good overlap between the two neighboring countries, and many Canadian players compete in the US as well.

Based on the highest-earning players, Canada’s eSports earnings list includes a diverse range of games near the top. Having said that, titles like Dota 2, CS2, Call of Duty, StarCraft II, Rocket League, Rainbow Six Siege, and PUBG are likely to include Canadian players. The well-known “Arteezy”, whose full name is Artour Babaev, is the highest-paid Canadian player with total earnings of US$2,714,369.91.

In Canadian eSports, teams like Toronto Ultra have gained notoriety. A combination of domestic talent and foreign partnerships promotes the nation’s scene. Strong community support and government initiatives help Canada’s eSports scene. In contrast to the top-tier nations, it’s still in its infancy and requires further funding and infrastructure.

Comparative Analysis

Trends in eSports Revenue
Countries with robust infrastructure, a sizable player base, and organizational or governmental support tend to rank first in terms of eSports earnings. The rankings are also being impacted by the growth of mobile eSports, with popular mobile games helping nations like Brazil.

Major Aspects Driving Success
Several characteristics influence a country’s achievement in eSports, namely player talent, team strategy, economic investment, and audience support. Nations with substantial grassroots initiatives and governmental backing tend to fare better.

The Function of Sponsorship and the Government
Government support and endorsements have a crucial impact on the growth of eSports. Countries like China and South Korea have profited tremendously from government efforts that support the growth of competitive gaming.

Pros and Cons of Investing in eSports

There are numerous arguments in favor of eSports at the moment. So why spend money on eSports? It goes without saying that the eSports sector has a great deal of potential for investments. Let’s examine some of these, along with the drawbacks of doing so.

Summing Up

Esports is a dynamic and ever-changing worldwide scene. Driven by elements like player skill, facilities, and community support, the top 10 nations in terms of eSports earnings have each established their own niche in the market.

China and the United States are at the forefront, but emerging markets like Canada and Brazil are catching up fast. It will be interesting to watch how these nations adjust and compete in the upcoming years as the sector grows.