- Russian esports professional and Virtus.pro general manager Sergey Glamazda discussed players’ salaries
- Glamazda offered insight into the different monetization channels esports teams use to earn money
- Tournaments, the sale of in-game skins, and more are all an important part of the deal
Esports players in Russia can earn up to $200,000 a year if they play on the highest competitive level, argues Virtus.pro general manager.
How Much Buck Can Esports Players Make?
As it turns out, being a Dota 2 professional in Russia isn’t so bad after all. According to Sergey “F1y1eaf” Glamazda, a top-performing player could earn around $200,000 a year. Glamazda should know as he is the current manager of Virtus.pro who agreed to speak with Moscow 24 and shed light on the country’s vibrant esports communities and professional video gaming scene.
Players in Russia are salaried, and their remuneration changes to reflect their most recent performance and showing in different events. However, every good organization knows that monetizing through tournaments is not the most sustainable model, and teams such as Virtus.pro are venturing well outside tournament plays to leverage their names.
According to Glamazda, esports organizations monetize through winnings and by securing sponsors. There is a lot of digital asset sales going around, and the vertical is quickly gaining traction with esports. Virtus.pro is already selling various skins for Counter-Strike and Dota 2, for example.
Claiming a Share of the Winnings
Going into detail, Glamazda explained that a team would only benefit from around 50% of a tournament prize pool that is then distributed to players at around 20% per player. Blast Premier and WePlay both ventured into the world of NFTs looking to cash in on the digital collectibles wave, which seems here to stay.
The salary of Russian esports professionals is still an open-ended question. A Forbes Russia magazine article argued that a player could earn $35,000 a month, amounting to a substantial annual pay-check.
Those are the biggest salaries, though, with other top players expecting anything between $10,000 and $15,000. Mid-level players would receive around $2,000 – $5,000, although even rookies joining established organizations will be well-remunerated. Interestingly, the world’s most well-paid athletes are those who have competed successfully in Dota 2.
At this time, that is OG who won the 2018 and 2019 Dota 2 The International events, becoming the highest-earning esports teams of all times. They are now headed for the next event held later this year and what could turn out to be a third victory for the team.
