Being a professional esports player is a career path many choose to explore, but few end up finding immense success in. It is similar to professional sports, as being the best in a video game is just not that easy. It takes dedication and sacrifice to make it to the top. So, who are the most successful esports players out there?
The Top Esports Players
Being one of the best in esports depends on titles won and earnings, as many players compete in large-scale tournaments, but always seem to walk home empty-handed. However, some gamers have certified themselves as champions within their game’s competitive history, making them one of the best esports players of all time.
But, who are some of the winningest esports players?
1. N0Tail
Earnings: $7.18 million
It is no secret that Johan “N0Tail” Sundstein is one of the greatest esports players of all time. The popular Dota 2 competitor still reigns as number one for the most earnings within all of esports. The gamer even has had back-to-back championship titles at The International.
While the competitor has recently been pursuing the business side of esports, he still claims that he is not retired from competing, and could be back any day.
2. JerAx
Earnings: $6.48 million
Jesse “JerAx” Vainikka is a Finnish Dota 2 competitor, with the second most amount of earnings in esports history. The gamer has also won two titles in The International, with various other first places in different Major events throughout the years. JerAx also played alongside N0Tail, where they became two-time champions at The International in 2018 and 2019.
JerAx currently does not reside in the Dota 2 scene at the moment, after he left Team Liquid as a coach back in 2022, claiming he does not feel the same about the popular game anymore.
3. Ana
Earnings: $6.02 million
Another Dota 2 player and teammate to JerAx and N0Tail, Anathan “ana” Pham has certified himself as one of the greatest esports players of all time, with his many Dota 2 championship titles and high amount of prize earnings. The competitive player moved from Melbourne to Shanghai back in 2015 to pursue a career in competitive Dota 2.
While ana is technically retired, he has been seen countless times competing in the last few years, meaning he hasn’t let go of the game just yet.
Related: Top Esports Tournaments | What Are The Best Esports Tournaments?
4. Ceb
Earnings: $5.95 million
Yep. You guessed it. Ranking as number four for the most successful esports players of all time is another Dota 2 competitor. Sébastien “Ceb” Debs first began competing back in 2011 and is easily one of the most decorated players in the scene. His multiple The International wins are only a small fraction of the first places that he has under his belt.
Ceb currently still competes as a member and co-founder of OG.
5. Topson
Earnings: $5.85 million
Last, but not least, is another Dota 2 player. It would seem as if this game has conquered the world of esports when it comes to prize pools and success. Topias “Topson” Taavitsainen is a Finnish competitor who is currently competing for Tundra Esports. The competitor has gotten first in multiple The Internationals and just recently placed fourth in Riyadh Masters 2024.
Despite being in his 30s, Topson still continues to hold the title as one of the best and most successful esports players of all time, making him number five on our list.
Dota 2 Reigns Over All
Curating a list of the best esports players primarily revolves around the Dota scene, as many of the top 20 highest-earning players consist of all Dota 2 players, except Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf, who has $3.72 million earnings from Fortnite.
It would seem as if Dota 2 continues to provide the biggest prize pools in all of esports, rewarding players with more than any other game in the industry.
But It Doesn’t End There
It’s important to stress that Dota 2 isn’t the pinnacle of the esports industry and it doesn’t account for every successful esports player. There are plenty of competitors worth mentioning as we break down the most successful esports players:
- Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter – Call of Duty (37 championships, 3 rings)
- Lee ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok – League of Legends (20 championships, 4 rings)
- Nicolai ‘dev1ce’ Reedtz – Counter-Strike (59 championships)
- Niclas ‘Pengu’ Mouritzen – Rainbow Six Siege (21 championships, 2 rings)
