If you told your parents or told anyone twenty years ago that you wanted to be a professional video game player, you would probably have been laughed at. However fast forward to today and it seems that being a professional gamer is a very viable option, although we guess just like most professional athletes, not everyone can make it and it does require a lot of training.
However it seems that if you do make it, you can rake in the riches, take for example a 17-year old Overwatch gamer, Jay “sinatraa” Won who has recently signed a $150,000 a year deal with NRG Esports. Yup, it seems that being a professional Overwatch gamer does pay, and in fact according to ESPN, the 17-year old’s salary is $100,000 above the league minimum.
In fact Won’s $150,000 a year deal does not include revenue-sharing options, according to ESPN’s sources, which means that the teen has the potential to make much more than that. Apparently Won was being targeted by both NRG and Cloud9, in which both teams tried to bid on the player and ultimately helped boost the amount that was offered.
That being said, just as is the case with famous artists, bands, and professional athletes, not everyone has what it takes to make it, but for those who do want to try their hand at an eSports career, it is certainly more viable today than it was back then.