The winners of the most popular esports events in 2019 have won more prize money than the traditional sports like golf and tennis.
The winners of Dota 2’s The International 2019 and the Fortnite World Cup were paid more per-player than the winners of Wimbledon and The Masters this year.
The Fortnite World Cup paid out $30 million in prizes to its participants, while The International 2019 surpassed Fortnite’s record-setting total just weeks later with an over $33 million prize pool that awarded a staggering total in excess of $15 million to its winning team, OG.
With more support than ever being thrown behind aspiring esports athletes, it might not be too long before more young people recognise Johan “N0tail” Sundstein than they do Novak Djokovic. While the treatment of players in esports still requires some work – one need look no further than Tfue’s dispute with FaZe Clan to see that there are still plenty of missteps involved in growing the scene – it is without a doubt a fixture of sports in general now.
As esports becomes a more legitimate pursuit for young people who find they have a natural ability at competitive games, it is entirely possible a much bigger influx of talent enters the scene over the next few years.
By Niji Narayan
Niji Narayan has been in the writing industry for well over a decade or so. He prides himself as one of the few survivors left in the world who have actually mastered the impossible art of copy editing. Niji graduated in Physics and obtained his Master’s degree in Communication and Journalism. He has always interested in sports writing and travel writing. He has written for numerous websites and his in-depth analytical articles top sports magazines like Cricket Today and Sports Today. He reports gaming industry headlines from all around the globe.