Riots tactical shooter Valorant is the hottest newcomer on the esports market. Within a few months after release, a remarkable scene has already formed around the competitive shooter hit. But what does a pro team actually earn?
An esports scene started forming back when Valorant was still in its closed beta. Already during the Valorant beta, numerous professional players announced their switch to the shooter hit from Riot Games because they recognized the potential that lies dormant in the game. What does a 5-man team like that actually earn in Valorant? The answer - around $25,000 and more in salaries.
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Valorant Salaries of Professional Teams at a High Level
Business journalist Graham Ashton from Esports Observer took a closer look at the Valorant salaries of the professional teams. According to him, a 5-man team that is active in Valorant earns between $15,000 and $25,000 per month.
Sources told TEO that the average @PlayVALORANT team salary currently ranges between $15K-25K per month, with some players earning considerably more.@Graham__Ashton checks in on the developing Valorant esports scene:https://t.co/xCED5X8vKa
— The Esports Observer (@esportsobserved) July 8, 2020
The salary depends on the region, but some professionals earned significantly more than the amount mentioned, Ashton continued. Superstars like former Overwatch League MVP Jay "sinatraa" Won, who just won the 100 Thieves "Gamers for Equality" tournament with his team, are considered to be top earners in the still young scene.
Further income is of course generated by the players' own marketing, whether through YouTube, Twitch, or other platforms.
$500,000 in Prize Money Already Distributed
If you look at the statistics on the EsportsEarnings website, you can see that over $500,000 have already been paid out in Valorant tournaments - as of July 3, 2020, which includes 122 tournaments played so far. Three players currently share the top spot in the listing.Taylor "Drone" Johnson, Steve "reltuC" Cutler and the Canadian Matthew "WARDELL" Bowman Yu are earning $9,910 in Valorant according to the website. However, this only includes prize money from tournaments. The normal salary that esports organizations pay their players is not included in this figure.With prize money of around $2,500, Valorant pro Marcel "rAx" Klenner is the top earner from Germany according to EsportsEarnining. In the recently announced WePlay! and PAX Valorant Invitational tournaments of Riot Games, another $25,000 will soon be added to the prize pool, waving the winner.
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Read more about gaming and esports on EarlyGame. We'll show you the cool dragon skin in action and reveal what's in Valorant Update 1.03.
