Interested in making money off your passion or expertise in gaming? Well, you’ve come to the right place! By the end of this guide, the only question you’ll have is how much money you can make gaming—While having all the information about the ways you can go about doing that.
Without further ado, let’s get right into it!
The World of Esports
Esports has transformed the idea of video games into a professional sport with global recognition and competitive skill.
From battle royales like PUBG and Fortnite to MMORPGs like Skyrim and World of Warcraft and from FPS titles like Call of Duty and Counter-Strike to MOBAs like Dota 2 and League of Legends— Games today offer prize pools and a level of competition that’s comparable to sports tournaments like the US Open or F1 Championships!
Esports require players to improve their mechanical skills and knowledge of games and entire teams to improve their strategy, coordination, and playstyle to be relevant on the world stage.
Becoming a high-grossing esports player can take years, if not decades, but when it happens, it pays off in millions in the span of a year.
Content Creation & Streaming
Content creators and streamers have carved a lucrative niche within the gaming industry for themselves. Platforms like Twitch and YouTube Gaming have become excellent tools to showcase skills and monetize content.
Ad revenue, subscriptions, donations, sponsorships, and merch sales are just a few of the many options that content creators use today to make considerable money. The best part? You don’t need millions of fans to start making money—Just a few hundred will do!
You can create content on any kind of game, genre, or niche. For example, you could choose to stream indie horror games or stick to well-known casino games! Almost all niches have a major following.
If you choose to play legitimate online roulette Canada, for example, you’d need to select a reliable platform to spin the wheel on, as well as an interactive platform to stream on. For beginners, YouTube is a good place to upload videos if you’re not into the whole live-streaming setup.
A lot of YouTubers upload videos of their jackpot wins, slot games, and casino tips and tricks. Sure, it takes some time to get attention, but with time, effort, and high-quality content, you can make it big on online platforms.
Gaming Sponsorships and Endorsements
Gaming influencers with a sizable following typically attract sponsorships and endorsements from gaming companies or brands that are looking for exposure to a niche fanbase. This happens automatically, and you will be approached sooner or later if you have a decent follower count.
Such partnerships can provide gamers with financial support to keep their channel going as well as access to exclusive products. Sponsored content is single-handedly responsible for a great part of the revenue that content creators and influencers generate.
More niche sponsorships or partnerships with reputable brands in the industry further establish your credibility and visibility within the gaming community.
However, do keep in mind that it’s important, to be honest and serve your audience first and the gaming brands second. It’s not rare for channels to start saying yes to all types of sponsorships, leading to a bunch of positive reviews that are not 100% transparent or honest.
Over time, this can backfire and stunt your channel’s growth.
Always remember—You owe your attention and duty to the fans and the viewers. Sponsorships will come and go, waving those greenbacks at your face, but if you end up damaging your reputation with unnecessary or overly positive reviews, it will be irreparable.
Even mobile game streamers get approached by sponsors today. So, even if you don’t have a desktop PC with high-end hardware or the latest gaming console, you can still start streaming, making guides, or uploading tutorial videos on a particular game like PUBG Mobile Lite and get a chance to be sponsored.
Gaming Tournaments and Prizes
Online and offline (LAN-based) tournaments offer significant cash prizes to skilled players. There are grassroots events as well as major, international-level championships. As per Esports Earnings, tournaments like Dota 2’s The International hand out prize pools as hefty as $40 million!
Competitive games where even a split second can be the difference between a win and loss often have bigger tournaments and insanely large prize pools, like Fortnite, Arena of Valor, League of Legends, PUBG, Overwatch, Call of Duty, Rainbow Six Siege, and so on.
While securing victories in these tournaments may be challenging, the potential rewards make it an attractive pursuit for serious players. For instance, the likes of Red Bull Esports sponsor these teams, and their pockets are deep.
Wrapping Up
While turning gaming into a full-time career may not be feasible for everyone, the gaming industry undoubtedly offers various avenues for individuals to make money doing what they love.
The methods we mentioned throughout this article are already being used by countless gamers and gaming enthusiasts to make money on the side. Which method strikes your fancy?