Top 10 Highest-Paid Esports Players in the World
4 min read
Esports has grown into a billion-dollar global industry in the past few years. From the Small LAN tournaments to global tournaments with massive audiences and prize pools. Some of the professional eSports players have also been paid millions in prize money alone. It can be paid in the form of Salary, sponsorships, and tournament winnings.
The Dota 2 tournament is considered one of the richest tournaments in eSports history. It makes the crowdfunded prize pools, which are more than $30 million. Therefore, the highest-earning players in eSports history mainly come from this game of Dota 2.
Top 10 Highest Paid eSports Players in 2025
Johan “N0tail” Sundstein – $7 million+
Johan “N0tail” Sundstein is a Danish-Faroese Dota 2 player. He started his career by playing Heroes of Newerth and later switched to Dota 2 in 2012. N0tail is the richest esports player ever in the esports industry, who has won over $7 million in prize money. He was playing for teams Fnatic, Team Secret, Cloud9 & OG. N0tail has won 4 Dota 2 Majors, and he is also a co-founder of OG.
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Jesse “JerAx” Vainikka – $6.4 million+
Jesse “JerAx” Vainikka is a Finnish Dota 2 support player. He started his career by playing Heroes of Newerth before playing Dota 2. JerAx has played for the teams QPAD Red Pandas, MVP HOT6ix, Team Liquid, OG, and Evil Geniuses. He has won The International 2018 and 2019 with OG and earned over $6.4 million in prize money by playing Dota 2.
Anathan “ana” Pham – $6 million+
Anathan “ana” Pham is an Australian Dota 2 player. He started his career with Invictus Gaming in 2016 and later continued to play with OG, T1, and Royal Never Give Up. In 2018 and 2019, Ana won The International with OG and was also a two-time TI champion. He has gained more than $6 million in prize money by playing Dota 2 and is considered the third richest esports player in the world.
Yaroslav “Miposhka” Naidenov – $5.9 million+
Yaroslav “Miposhka” Naidenov is a Russian Dota 2 player. He started his career with Yellow Submarine and later moved to Team Empire & Team Spirit. Miposhka was the captain of Team Spirit, where they won The International 2021 and The International 2023. He was also a two-time TI champion under his leadership. Therefore, he has earned over $5.9 million in prize money by playing these esports.
Sébastien “Ceb” Debs – $5.9 million+
Sébastien “Ceb” Debs is a French-Lebanese Dota 2 player and a coach. He started his career in 2011 and played for teams OG, Shakira, and Sigma.int. In 2018 and 2019, Ceb became the international champion with OG. He has earned over $5.9 million in prize money by playing Dota 2.
Topias “Topson” Taavitsainen – $5.8 million+
Topias “Topson” Taavitsainen is a Finnish Dota 2 player. He started his career in 2017 and played for teams OG, T1, and Tundra Esports. Topson is the international winner twice with OG in 2018 and 2019. He has earned over $5.8 million in prize money by playing this esports.
Magomed “Collapse” Khalilov – $5.7 million+
Magomed “Collapse” Khalilov is a Russian Dota 2 player. He plays as an offlaner in position 3 and plays for Team Spirit in Dota 2. Collapse is the champion of The International 10 in 2021 and The International 12 in 2023, becoming a two-time TI winner at just 23 years old. He has earned more than $5.7 million in prize money in Dota 2.
Ilya “Yatoro” Mulyarchuk – $5.6 million+
Ilya “Yatoro” Mulyarchuk is a Ukrainian Dota 2 player. He plays for Team Spirit as a carry in Position 1. Yatoroha is the champion of International 10 in 2021 and The International 12 in 2023. He has earned more than $5.6 million in prize money through esports.
Miroslaw “Mira” Kolpakov – $5.5 million+
Miroslaw “Mira” Kolpakov is a Ukrainian Dota 2 player. He plays for Aurora Gaming as a support in position 4. Mira is a former player of Team Spirit and champion of The International 10 in 2021 and The International 12 in 2023. He has won more than $5.5 million in different tournaments.
Kuro “KuroKy” Takhasomi – $5.3 million+
Kuro “KuroKy” Takhasomi is a German Dota 2 player. He is the co-founder of Team Nigma. KuroKy plays for Team Nigma as a support/captain. He is the winner of The International 7 (2017) with Team Liquid, securing over $10 million in the prize pool. His total esports earnings are more than $5.3 million.
Final Words
Most of the top 10 highest-paid players had earned a lot of money and rewards by playing Dota 2. Especially in games like Dota 2, they have a large prize pool. The International (TI) is the biggest contributor to their massive earnings. Players like N0tail, JerAx, and ana have made over $6 million each from esports and proved that the esports industry also has a future. As esports continues to grow, more players are likely to achieve similar success.
FAQ’s
Who is the highest-paid esports player in 2025?
As per the recent trend, Johan “N0tail” Sundstein is the highest-paid esports player in 2025. He has earned more than $7 million purely through the Esports Earnings itself. Hence, he is considered the highest-paid esports player.
How do esports players make money?
Esports players earn money through tournament winnings, salaries from their teams, and sponsorship deals from various brands.
Which esports game has the largest prize pool?
Dota 2’s tournament, The International (TI), has the largest crowdfunded prize pool, which will be more than $30 million.
What is The International (TI)?
The International (TI) is the Dota 2 game’s premier tournament with the largest prize pool ever in the esports industry.
