Many parents once warned that staring at video games all day would lead nowhere, yet professional esports organizations have proven that idea wrong. Esports is a booming global industry: teams field rosters across multiple games, secure major sponsorships, sell out arenas, and compete for multi-million dollar prize pools—sometimes earning more from a single event than traditional teams make in an entire season.
Annual flagship tournaments can award more than $10 million to the winning club, with runners-up taking home multi-million-dollar payouts as well. Some teams rose early and became enduring institutions with massive fan bases and significant revenue streams, while others have collapsed despite huge early payouts. Below are the 30 most successful esports organizations ranked by prize money earned, based on data from EsportsEarnings.com.
30. Samsung
esportsinsider
Founded: 2013
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Key partner: Samsung Electronics
Earnings: $5.31 million
Samsung fielded multiple successful League of Legends squads (Blue, White and Galaxy) that reached the World Championship final twice. Despite on-field success, frequent player transfers seeking higher pay destabilized the organization and it dissolved in 2017.
29. NRG Esports
RLEsports
Founded: 2015
Location: Los Angeles, California
Key partners: Turtle Beach, Levi’s, Roccat, The General, Hot Pockets, Army National Guard, Purple
Earnings: $5.52 million
Founded by Sacramento Kings owners Mark Mastrov and Andy Miller, NRG attracts celebrity investors such as Shaquille O’Neal and Alex Rodriguez. It fields rosters across major titles including Call of Duty, Fortnite and Overwatch.
28. mousesports
Marton Monus / AP Photo
Founded: 2002
Location: Germany
Key partners: Vodafone Germany, ROCKSTAR Energy Drink, Snipes, Razer, Nitrado, noblechairs
Earnings: $5.59 million
One of Europe’s longest-standing teams, mousesports (Mouz) is a G7 member and has been driven largely by its Counter-Strike: Global Offensive roster, which accounts for over half of the organization’s winnings.
27. Royal Never Give Up
RNG
Founded: 2012
Location: China
Key partners: HP, Logitech, DouyuTV, KFC, Axe, Yili Guliduo Milk
Earnings: $5.68 million
RNG’s success is powered by its League of Legends and Dota 2 teams, which contribute the majority of the club’s prize money. Its League of Legends squad has captured five championships since 2015.
26. Gen.G
preludecoda
Founded: 2017
Location: Playa Vista, California; Seoul, South Korea; Shanghai, China
Key partner: Bumble
Earnings: $5.77 million
Gen.G’s PUBG squad won the global championship in 2019 and placed third in 2021. The organization also saw success in Heroes of the Storm, with notable prize earnings earned from multiple first-place finishes in 2018.
25. Alliance
theAllianceGG
Founded: 2013
Location: Sweden
Key partners: Monster Energy, Twitch, GG.Bet
Earnings: $5.86 million
Alliance’s prominence comes largely from its Dota 2 team, which secured roughly 83% of the organization’s prize money, including the 2013 International championship that awarded more than $1.4 million.
24. MVP
Team MVP
Founded: 2010
Location: South Korea
Key partner: Samsung
Earnings: $6.22 million
MVP earned the bulk of its winnings through Dota 2 before that roster disbanded in 2017. Today, MVP’s CS:GO squad represents its most successful active competitive team.
23. Ninjas in Pyjamas
John Locher / AP Photo
Founded: 2000
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Key partners: Betway, Samsung
Earnings: $6.39 million
NiP is best known for its Counter-Strike legacy, which has contributed over $3 million in prize money. Other rosters, including Dota 2 and Rainbow Six, have also achieved major successes, with Rainbow Six winning the 2021 Six Invitational.
22. SK Gaming
PrimeLeague
Founded: 1997
Location: Germany
Key partners: Deutsche Telekom, Razer, Sennheiser, Mountain Dew, Toshiba, Kingston Technology
Earnings: $6.56 million
As one of the oldest esports organizations, SK Gaming has endured through changes in the industry. Its success is anchored by strong Counter-Strike rosters across the original title and CS:GO.
21. Team Envy
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Founded: 2007
Location: Dallas, Texas
Key partner: Jack in the Box
Earnings: $6.97 million
Team Envy earned recognition at the 2016 Esports Industry Awards after winning the Call of Duty XP Championship and achieving CS:GO success at the World Electronic Sports Games that year.
20. Team SoloMid
FOS
Founded: 2009
Location: Los Angeles, California
Key partners: GEICO, Grubhub, Mountain Dew Game Fuel, Logitech, Twitch, Lenovo
Earnings: $7.16 million
TSM is among the most popular U.S.-based organizations, fielding numerous rosters including League of Legends and Fortnite squads that together account for roughly half of the team’s prize earnings.
19. OpTic Gaming
opticgaming
Founded: 2006
Location: Frisco, Texas
Key partner: Red Bull
Earnings: $7.90 million
OpTic’s Call of Duty squad is widely regarded as one of the greatest ever. The organization is diversified with multiple successful teams and has twice been named esports team of the year at the Game Awards.
18. G2 Esports
g2esports
Founded: 2014
Location: Berlin, Germany
Key partners: Adidas, BMW, Lenovo, Logitech, Mastercard, Red Bull, SecretLab, Twitch and others
Earnings: $8.25 million
G2 is one of the most balanced organizations in esports—no single team dominates its earnings, and multiple rosters across CS:GO, League of Legends and Rainbow Six have each contributed significant prize money.
17. Astralis
astralis
Founded: 2015
Location: Denmark
Key partners: Unibet, Turtle Beach, Secretlab, OMEN by HP, Logitech G, Hummel
Earnings: $9.01 million
Astralis’ earnings are overwhelmingly tied to its CS:GO roster, which accounts for almost all of the organization’s prize money. Several players from Astralis have individually earned more than $1 million.
16. Paris St. Germain-Esports
DotEsports
Founded: 2016
Location: Paris, France
Key partner: Betway
Earnings: $9.63 million
The PSG esports division—related to the storied soccer club—has earned the vast majority of its prize money through Dota 2, including huge payouts from second- and third-place finishes at The International.
15. Wings Gaming
GetLocoNow
Founded: 2014
Location: China
Key partners: None
Earnings: $9.74 million
Wings Gaming earned nearly all of its prize money from Dota 2 but folded in 2017, only three years after forming, despite major competitive success during its brief existence.
14. FaZe Gaming
EsportsMIA
Founded: 2010
Location: New York and Los Angeles, California
Key partners: G Fuel, Scuf Gaming, SteelSeries, Nissan, Wix, Manchester City, Verizon and others
Earnings: $9.89 million
FaZe grew from trick-shot YouTube content into a major esports organization. Though founded by Call of Duty players, the organization now earns prize money across multiple games with substantial contributions from four different titles.
13. SK Telecom T1
flashofhavoc
Founded: 2003
Location: South Korea
Key partners: SK Telecom, Nike, Twitch, Secretlab, BMW, Samsung and others
Earnings: $10.1 million
SKT’s League of Legends team has been dominant for years, winning multiple Korean titles and three World Championships, contributing the majority of the organization’s prize earnings since 2013.
12. Cloud9
Cloud9
Founded: 2013
Location: Santa Monica, California
Key partners: AT&T, BMW, HyperX, Microsoft, Puma, Red Bull, Secretlab and others
Earnings: $10.3 million
Cloud9 fields a balanced set of rosters with three teams contributing more than $1 million each. The organization also benefits from high-profile investors and broad corporate sponsorships.
11. LGD Gaming
teamlgdgaming
Founded: 2009
Location: China
Key partners: LG, ThunderRobot
Earnings: $11.4 million
LGD is one of China’s longest-running esports clubs and has prospered largely thanks to its Dota 2 team, which accounts for the large majority of the organization’s prize money and has led to partnerships with global brands.
10. Invictus Gaming
invgaming
Founded: 2011
Location: China
Key partners: Betway, Chevrolet, Secretlab
Earnings: $12 million
Initially funded by founder Wang Sicong, Invictus later secured corporate partnerships and has excelled in Dota 2 and League of Legends, which together provide the bulk of its earnings.
9. Team Secret
teamsecret
Founded: 2014
Location: Europe
Key partners: MetaThreads, NVIDIA, GG.BET
Earnings: $12.3 million
Team Secret’s Dota 2 roster has earned more than 94% of the organization’s prize money over seven years, with individual stars like Clement “Puppey” Ivanov contributing substantial earnings.
8. Natus Vincere
natus_vincere_official
Founded: 2009
Location: Kiev, Ukraine
Key partners: Monster Energy, Logitech, Tinkoff Bank, AndaSeat, GG.BET
Earnings: $12.7 million
Na’Vi enjoyed dominance between 2010–2013, collecting numerous tournament victories including a million-dollar prize at a 2011 International. The organization posted back-to-back second-place finishes at subsequent Internationals as well.
7. Vici Gaming
_BuffHub / DreamHack
Founded: 2012
Location: China
Key partners: HyperX, Biostar, HTC
Earnings: $13.5 million
Vici Gaming’s Dota 2 team has delivered major results, including a second-place finish at The International and other top placements that produced large prize payouts in consecutive years.
6. Newbee
newbeecn
Founded: 2014
Location: China
Key partners: Secretlab, Sennheiser Gaming
Earnings: $14.2 million
Newbee burst onto the scene by winning the 2014 International, claiming over $5 million in that year and later adding nearly $4 million from a second-place finish in 2017. The organization later faced controversy with bans related to a match-fixing investigation.
5. Virtus.pro
Virtus.pro
Founded: 2003
Location: Russia
Key partners: Parimatch, HyperX, Haval, Halls
Earnings: $15.8 million
One of Russia’s oldest esports organizations, Virtus.pro received a significant investment and has been especially successful in Counter-Strike and Dota 2, winning multiple major championships since 2014.
4. Fnatic
fnatic
Founded: 2004
Location: London, England; Berlin, Germany; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Key partners: AMD, BMW, Monster Energy, OnePlus, Twitch and others
Earnings: $16.1 million
Fnatic boasts an outstanding competitive record across multiple titles, including seven European League of Legends championships, a 2011 world title, and multiple CS:GO Major victories.
3. Evil Geniuses
evilgeniuses
Founded: 1999
Location: Seattle, Washington
Key partners: Monster Energy, Xfinity, Razer, AORUS, AMD, Twitch
Earnings: $24.5 million
Originally founded in Vancouver, Evil Geniuses rose to prominence early and became a founding member of the G7 elite. It remains one of the longest-standing and most respected North American organizations.
2. OG
redbullgaming
Founded: 2015
Location: Europe
Key partners: FUN88, BMW, SteelSeries, Secretlab, Socios.com
Earnings: $34.4 million
OG is a remarkable success story: as a relatively young team it won The International in consecutive years (2018 and 2019), securing more than $20 million combined from those two titles and dramatically accelerating its rise toward the top of esports’ earnings leaderboard.
1. Team Liquid
TeamLiquid
Founded: 2000
Location: Utrecht, Netherlands
Key partners: Alienware, Honda, HyperX, Jersey Mike’s Subs, Marvel, Monster Energy, Secretlab, SAP, Twitch
Earnings: $37.2 million
Team Liquid combines a long competitive history—participating in thousands of events—with prominent investors like Magic Johnson and Ted Leonsis. The organization’s largest payday came from The International 2017, when five players shared an $11 million prize, cementing Team Liquid’s status as the highest-earning esports organization by prize money.