Top 5 Prize Pools in Gaming

 

Gaming has grown exponentially in recent years and that is all down to the introduction of online gaming. This has propelled certain games to a whole new level and of course, with online gaming comes competition, so it is no wonder that people from around the world love competing against each other.

As a result, it is little surprise that prize money has become a big thing. You only have to take a look at Odds Index to see how big prize money and odds can be online which means that big prizes are now a common thing in gaming. Players are improving all the time and sponsors are recognising how much of a reach these gaming platforms have on a global scale. So, since the first gaming prize was won in 1997, things have gone from strength to strength and that has made some top gamers extremely rich.

So, we are going to focus on the top five prize pools to identify the top five prize pools, starting with number 5.

5. StarCraft II

Sitting at number five in the list is the popular game StarCraft II. This is a Sci-Fi based, role-playing game and since it was released in 2010 there have been more than 6,000 tournaments held all over the world with more than $34 million total prize money. Each gold medallist winner would have walked away with around $300,000 and although this is not as high as others on the list, there is no denying that this is an excellent amount of prize money. So, for anyone looking to take part in a StartCraft II tournament, there is certain to be a good amount of money waiting to be won.

4. League of Legends

Since the tournament was launched around the world in 2009, there have been nearly 2,500 tournaments held. This has resulted in this legendary game becoming one of the most widely recognised competitive games in the world of gaming. Around 115 million players have played the game with more than 50 million playing the game each day. However, the game is continuing to grow in popularity and with that has come huge game prizes. While it might not fall within the top three when it comes to money, League of Legends has still amassed a prize total of $82 million in twelve years. So, just to give you an idea of how much prize money players win, back in 2020 during the World Championship, the winning team won over half a million which is not a bad outcome!

3. Fortnite

Fortnite has become one of the most popular games in recent years and now it is enjoyed by players of all ages. Soon after being released, it quickly became recognised as a game that can be played with a competitive edge. As a result, it soon achieved prize money to a total of $100 million, with less than 700 tournaments completed which is pretty impressive. Since its launch in 2017, the number of players has increased and still, new players are looking to continue competing in search of those impressive prizes. In fact, why wouldn’t they because one single win could see players win as much as $3 million.

2. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

This might be considered to be one the best games to ever grace the online world and it still manages to wow players on a global scale. This has grown and grown throughout the years and there have been almost 6,000 events completed across the world since 2012. This might be partly down to the fact that the prize money is not too disappointing with the average win being around $800,000 while podium holders also come away with a fistful of winning of several hundred thousand dollars.  At every Counter-Strike tournament, the average prize pool sits at an impressive $1.5 million although more than $108 million has been placed into the platform. So, many might believe that this game has lost its way and is no longer a competitor but they might want to think again. The finances of this game alone are clear proof that this is one of the main players when it comes to competing online.

1. Dota 2

Sitting at number 1 on the list is Dota 2, as it is one of the highest paying games online. Over a period of ten years, it has only hosted around 1,500 tournaments but this small figure is not one to shy away from because the total prize money has hit almost $230 million which is an amazing figure. What this has meant is that each tournament has come with a hefty prize with the winning team picking up a cool $15.5 million. So, if you split those winnings between the team, they each come away with a sum of money that will change their lives forever.


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Last Updated: Feb 11, 2022

About The Author

Dissecting and distilling the game industry since 1994. Lover of family time, youth hockey, eSports, and the game industry in general.

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