Esports: How tournaments are organized and how much top players earn

Cybersports, or professional computer game competitions, has long since turned into a global phenomenon. What started as amateur tournaments in narrow circles has now become a huge industry with multi-million viewing audiences, high-profile championships and huge profits for players. In this article, we will take a detailed look at how eSports tournaments are organized, who is behind their organization, what prize funds are offered to participants, and how eSports players make their fortunes.

How are eSports tournaments organized?

The basis of eSports are tournaments — large-scale competitions in which teams or individual players compete with each other in various disciplines (games). Depending on the game, it can be both individual matches and team confrontations. Here are the key stages of organizing tournaments:

Organization and partners. Tournaments are organized both by the game developers themselves and by specialized organizations. One of the biggest examples is Dota 2's The International, hosted by Valve, the game's developer. At the same time, other tournaments, like ESL One or Intel Extreme Masters, are organized by independent organizations that have a lot of experience in creating such events. These companies work with sponsors, attracting big brands for financial support.
Qualifications and invites. Players and teams gain the right to participate in tournaments through a selection system. This could be a regional qualifier where the strongest teams from different countries compete for spots in the main event. For the most famous players and teams at major tournaments, so-called invites are provided - invitations to competitions without the need to pass qualifications.
Prize funds. One of the key attractions of eSports is the opportunity to earn significant money through prize pools. These funds are formed both through the contributions of the organizers and through crowdfunding, as Valve does for The International. For this, the company sells special digital items in the game, and part of the income goes to the prize fund. In 2021, the fund of The International reached more than $40 million, which became a record for eSports tournaments.
Tournament format. Tournaments can take place in different formats: from group stages, where teams compete for entry to the playoff stage, to double elimination grids (Double Elimination), where participants get a second chance after the first defeat. This format allows the losing teams to remain in contention for the main trophy, continuing their journey in the lower bracket.

How much do eSportsmen earn?

Top eSports players earn significant amounts of money, and their income can vary depending on a number of factors: the popularity of the game, results in tournaments, sponsorship deals and additional income such as streams or advertising. Let's consider what their profits consist of:

Prize funds. The main source of income is the money that teams or individual players receive for winning tournaments. For example, in The International 2021, Team Spirit received $18 million for first place. Other popular games such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive or Fortnite also have tournaments with large prize pools. In 2019, 16-year-old Bugha won the Fortnite World Championship and received $3 million.
Salaries from organizations. Most professional players are part of eSports organizations such as Team Liquid, Fnatic or Cloud9. These organizations pay players regular salaries that can reach tens of thousands of dollars per month. Top players have contracts that include not only salaries, but also additional bonuses for wins.
Sponsorship contracts. As in traditional sports, sponsors play an important role in eSports. The most famous players get sponsorship contracts from big brands. For example, a s1mple player from CS
cooperates with such companies as Navi, Logitech and Red Bull. Such contracts can add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
Streaming and content. Esports players also make a lot of money on streaming platforms such as Twitch or YouTube, where they broadcast their games live to a huge audience. Thanks to donations, subscriptions and advertising, popular streamers can earn an extra few thousand dollars a month. For example, the famous streamer Ninja once earned over $500,000 per month on Twitch alone.

How much do top players earn?

The earnings of top players can be staggering. Here are some examples:

Johan “N0tail” Sundstein, a Dota 2 player, earned more than $7 million during his career, thanks to his victories at The International tournaments.
s1mple (Olexandr Kostylev), one of the best players in CS, has a combined income from tournaments, streams and sponsorship contracts that can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars per month.
Faker, a legendary player in League of Legends, not only wins tournaments, but also earns significant income from his promotional deals and contract with the T1 team.

Conclusion
Esports is becoming increasingly popular and profitable for those who have the talent and are ready to dedicate themselves to gaming at a professional level. It offers huge financial opportunities and opens the door to fame and success. Thanks to the rapid development of the industry, e-sportsmen are now on the same level as the stars of traditional sports, and their earnings are no less impressive.

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Esports: How tournaments are organized and how much top players earn

How are eSports tournaments organized?

How much do eSportsmen earn?

How much do top players earn?

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