While the esports industry is still relatively new, its viewership and revenue have been increasing in recent times. This has led to more colleges offering scholarships for eSports, which is good news for students.

But the industry’s growth also has led to more people searching for a career in this field. While it is possible for competitive gaming to become a viable career, doing so can be as much of a longshot as becoming a pro in a traditional sport. 

There are a number of professional esports players who earn large amounts of money, such as Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf, who has earned over $3 million. He has one of the highest earnings in the United States esports scene, with his highest paying game being Fortnite.

However, most players do not earn nearly as much. Many often resort to streaming on platforms such as Twitch or YouTube, and the income there can depend heavily on how popular the player is. Since the algorithms on the platforms change often, success could all come down to luck. 

Further, people who want to play lesser-known games professionally would have a hard time earning a decent income, as most of the money in the field is in the top five games. 

And just like any other sports field, esports can be very unstable. Players are dropped from team rosters constantly, depending on their performance. 

A recent example of this was the Valorant team for the organization 100 Thieves dropping Hunter “BabyJ” Schline and Adam “Ec1s” Eccles. After losing to The Guard 13-0 during the second week of the Valorant Champions Tour Stage 1 challengers, 100 Thieves quickly dropped both players after only two weeks of play. 

Their replacements were announced minutes after the roster change. The decision was met with surprise and backlash as Ec1s, who was the “EU import” member of the team, had to get a visa to play for the team but was released after playing in just two games. 

With more games gaining popularity, the field could evolve into one that provides more income just through competing. With the current state of the industry, however, gaining success can prove to be very difficult.