In addition, 2019’s Fortnite World Cup showed an entire generation (and perhaps more importantly, their parents) that there is serious money in competitive video gaming when then 16 year-old Kyle ‘Bugha’ Giersdorf won $3 million in front of a packed Arthur Ash Stadium.Īs gaming has grown its footprint in the zeitgeist, so too have the opportunities to generate a successful career from what has historically been viewed by many as nothing more than a waste of time. In addition to sanctioned, competitive play, there has been a dramatic uptick in the number of individuals who have established careers live-streaming video game content on popular sites such as Twitch and YouTube. However, in the last ten years, esports has exploded in popularity, as evidenced by Riot Games’ League of Legends Championship Series establishing itself as the third most popular sport in the United States amongst 18-34 year olds, only behind the National Football League and the National Basketball Association. The esports industry itself was still in its infancy, and competitive gaming was little known outside a core group of highly engaged players and fans. As recently as a decade ago, earning a living playing videos games was considered nothing more than a pipe dream – with limited monetization avenues not just for players, but for game developers and publishers as well.

How to earn money while playing games