It's become increasingly easy to convince parents about the financial potential of playing video games. It's no longer a massive time sink, hundreds of esports pros have proven that it's more than a viable career option. Esports titles continue to grow each year and along the way, several players have reached previously unfathomable heights. The surest proof is the vast amounts of prize money under each champion's belt.

With that said, let's take a look at the most successful esports pros that have ever graced the stage. This list will focus on five of the greatest earners from the five most successful esports titles so far. If this distinction was not added, we'd have a top eleven list featuring only Dota 2 players and that would be no fun at all.

5. Crimsix

Kicking off this best-of-the-best list is Ian “Crimsix” Porter. Crimsix is an American Call of Duty player and arguably the franchise's most successful star. He has competed under a number of famous NA esports organizations such as compLexity Gaming, Evil Geniuses, and OpTic Gaming.

Currently, Crimsix ranks 76th on the global list of all top esports earners. That's a considerable feat considering the number of Dota 2 players on said list. Collectively, he has taken home around $1,158,159.47 across approximately 150 tournaments. He now fights under the Dallas Empire banner. They recently won the Call of Duty League 2020 Playoffs, taking home $1,500,000 in the process.

4. Faker

Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok makes his entry to the fourth spot on the list. The Unkillable Demon King has seen better competitive days but he is still the undisputed best League of Legends player. He is the only three-time world champion of the game and this amazing feat extends into many other esports titles as well. However, there may be some individuals higher on this list that stands a chance of shattering this seemingly insurmountable mountain.

Faker is best known for his impressive mechanical plays on Summoner's Rift. Especially during his prime, Faker had casters and analysts screaming out of their minds with impressive plays. His habit of escaping from extremely dangerous situations earned him the monicker of the Unkillable Demon King. Unfortunately, it has been four years since Faker's last world championship win. Regardless of his rough recent record, he remains a credible threat for any team unlucky enough to face off against him.

He is currently ranked 67th on the global esports earners list with approximately $1,257,615.87 in cash prize under his belt. Faker remains loyal to only one esports organization since his debut in 2013. It's safe to assume that Faker will always be with SK Telecom T1 which has now renamed to T1.

Faker even sang and played with international K-pop sensation, BTS, which affirms his legendary status in his home country of South Korea.

3. dupreeh

The third spot on the list goes to a superstar from one of the oldest industries in esports, Counter-Strike. Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen plays for the Astralis CS:GO squad and they have been an unstoppable force. dupreeh has been a dominant player of the team shooter since he debuted in late-2012. Fans can almost always expect highlight videos from plays by dupreeh following any major tournament showing.

Currently, dupreeh holds a stellar record with Astralis. They have won nearly every major tournament they have taken part in since 2017. dupreeh's total tournament earnings amount to around $1,797,822.74.

2. Bugha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nk4eEWKNqfc

The penultimate entry in the list is a surprise contender from the young Fortnite franchise. Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf is the latest to make it to the top of the global esports earners list. Currently, Bugha has ranked 12th among all of the international esports professionals all thanks to Fortnite.

The biggest achievement for the American Fortnite player is the monumental championship win in the 2019 Fornite World Cup Finals – Solo. He took home an astounding $3,000,000 for his efforts. Collectively, his total earnings are somewhere around the figure of $3,153,561.72.

1. N0tail

It's no surprise that the most successful Dota 2 player graces the top of the spot. Johan “N0tail” Sundstein from OG currently ranks as the biggest esports earner out of every other player in any esports title and with good reason. One win from the annual Dota 2 The International tournament would be a massive boon to any player yet N0tail has managed to win the grand tournament two times (so far).

To be clear, this top spot could just as easily have been occupied by the entirety of OG and the 2017 Team Liquid Dota 2 squad. The top ten spots in the global esports earners list are currently boxed out by Dota 2 pros. However, N0tail not only deserves this spot, but he is also the highest earner among the members of his own team. OG's Support & Captain has earned a whopping $6,944,322.80 over around 120 tournaments.

It is an indisputable fact that Dota 2 tournaments have the honor of being the most lucrative esports title. It is also an equally indisputable fact that N0tail is the game's most successful player. Should the star Support win a third world championship title in the future, then it will only cement his legacy as one of esports greatest players.

These players are the current kings of esports. They are the shining beacons for every hopeful solo-queue hero logging into their favorite game. They're the ones to beat in order to become the best in the game.

ClutchPoints Gaming