Gamers can now earn multimillion salaries in expanding esports industry

A lucrative emerging industry is offering Aussies the chance to earn millions of dollars. See how it can lead to a well-paying career.

Lauren Ahwan

3 min read

January 12, 2023 - 7:32PM

News Corp Australia Network

New Tekken Game Seemingly Teased at EVO 2022

SmartDaily

Don't miss out on the headlines from SmartDaily. Followed categories will be added to My News.

Sitting around playing computer games may not be the waste of time that many believe and could lead to a multimillion-dollar career.

About 532 million people worldwide tune in to watch their favourite computer games being played, contributing to an industry that is now worth more than $US1.3bn.

While the Australian market is still in its infancy, experts say momentum is building, with data from SEMrush revealing online searches from Aussies wanting to know how to be an esports gamer have jumped by 200 per cent in the past two years.

Tournament winnings can range from a few dollars to millions of dollars, while there’s also plenty of money to be made through streaming, sponsorships and merchandise sales.

“If you ask a young person what they want to be, the most common answer you’ll hear today is a gamer or a streamer,” says Stephen Cornish, managing director of internet provider Pentanet, which has a focus on gaming subscribers.

“You can earn big money from it. Depending on the game you are playing, you can become a multi-millionaire out of it.”

Fans watching an esports eventin Las Vegas.

BIGGER THAN TRADITIONAL SPORTS

Cornish says esports have eclipsed traditional sport in terms of participation and viewer audience, with mounting speculation gaming will be included in the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

However, the large number of gamers means competition to reach professional status is fierce.

“It’s like with all the guys that play soccer – they all love the sport but imagine what the chances are that they will one day go pro,” Cornish says. “Like soccer, (esports gamers) have to show a very high level of natural talent but, like all things, you can get better with practise and training.

“You can definitely get to the start of being professional under your own steam just by playing the game – by being really good, you will get scouted and be picked up by a pro team.”

MORE THAN A HOBBY

For those not quite at an elite level, or wanting to pursue a different career path, streaming can be a lucrative alternative, with many viewers willing to pay to watch live broadcasts of amateur gamers playing and sharing their tips to improve.

Twenty-something gaming influencer Kira, who goes by the moniker Kiki, has been streaming for the past five years.

With 49,800 followers, she says the money made through streaming and sponsorship deals allows a lifestyle that is “definitely comfortable”.

“A lot of people start out doing this as a hobby but for me, personally, it was never a hobby – I had every intention of making money and when I decided that this is what I wanted to do it was like a lightbulb moment for me,’’ says Kiki, who holds a degree in psychology, specialising in addictions.

While many would consider getting paid to play computer games to be their dream job, Kiki says the work involved is intense.

“It’s non-stop. There’s no down time.” She wakes at midday to send emails and make off-screen work calls before live streaming her gaming from 7pm to 4am.

“It kind of takes over your entire life. But, for the majority of it, I do pinch myself because there’s nothing else I would rather be doing.”

SUPPORT TEAM

Esports coach Scott Farmer says as the Australian industry grows, there will be a need for more trainers, managers, performance analysts, physiologists, marketers and “all the things that go along with regular sports”.

“The way to think about esports is that it functions almost in the way any other sport does but instead of kicking a soccer ball around the field, you are playing a computer game,” Farmer says. “But all the things that go along with regular sports are still the same and if you are a 17 or 18 year old coming into the industry, there’s a lot of avenues and a lot of pathways that you can get into.”