As eSports continue to gain more popularity by the minute, the world is paying more attention to the players who are topping the charts. Whether a gaming competitor is making waves due to an unprecedented winning streak, an impressive earning history or simply by making a powerful entrance, the eSports community is noticing.
We previously rounded up a count of some of the most impressive pro gamers to hit the circuit in 2021, but couldn’t help adding to that list. After all, there’s so much talent, and we don’t want to miss out on featuring any of these promising players.
As far as earnings go, Dota2 is cranking out more champions than any other game in eSports. In fact, all ten of the highest-paid players in 2021 earned their status thanks to their success in Dota2. This includes the top-earner, Johan “N0tail” Sundstein, featured in our previous article. However, N0tail’s teammates are, for lack of a better pun, right on his tail.
Jesse “JerAx” Vainikka
Now retired, JerAx has been part of some of the most successful teams in eSports over the past twelve years, including the well-known Team Liquid. However, his performance in Dota2 with the OG squad bumped him up to the top of our list and allowed him to retire at a very young age, with an impressive career-accumulated winning of nearly $6.5 million. But ultimately, it was with OG Dota that he rose to victory. He managed to secure an enviable amount of money at a fairly young age, becoming a millionaire out of his love for gaming.
Anatham “ana” Pham
As of 2021, Anatham “ana” Pham was one of only three eSports professionals to earn over $6 million throughout their gaming career (the other two being his teammates mentioned above). Even though ana dropped out of high school to pursue his love of gaming, specifically a passion and talent for Dota2, we have to say that the unorthodox move panned out for him rather successfully. He’s now considered one of the core players for the OG team and is a well-respected champion within the league.
Sebastien “Ceb” Debs and Topias “Topson” Taavitsainen
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention these two members of team OG, who rounded out the top four and five spots of top-earning gamers in 2021, respectively. This squad is cranking out winners and raking in the funds, but it’s very clear that they’re not done yet. According to eSports Grizzly, “OG Dota is possibly looking to increase their earnings and propel themselves to the very top of the highest-earning esports players in the history of all video gaming.”
Kuro “KuroKy” Takhasomi
KuroKy isn’t an OG team member, but he’s a major earner and force to be reckoned with in Dota 2. He’s now an integral part of the thriving team, Nigma Galaxy. Kuroky has been a dominating presence in eSports for several years and is one of the most recognized names in the game. Over the years, Kuroky has been part of several International-winning teams, including Natus Vincere, Team Secret, and Team Liquid. Over the course of his career, Kuroky has
Illya “Yatoro” Mulyarchuk
Being the best doesn’t always earn you major coins right off the bat. While he hasn’t made the list of highest-earning players yet, Yatoro has officially made a grand entrance into the eSports scene. After only a year in competitive gaming, Yatoro was named the best Dot2 player of 2021 as part of Team Spirit. Even though he didn’t lead his team to a sweeping victory, Yatoro still delivered an impressive performance and completed one of the best and most entertaining runs at The International in years.
These professional gamers have all made their mark on the evolving universe of eSports, taking flight or landing with a bang for different reasons. They all have in common their immediate potential to inspire young gamers to pursue their passion and create a career. After all, success comes in many forms, especially when you’re the controller of your destiny.