How To Make Money Playing Video Games

Gamers have spent an estimated $135 billion on games in 2018, according to Newzoo. But it isn't just the big-name gaming companies that are making tons of cash - the gamers are, too. Gaming enthusiasts have turned playing video games into a full-time job that can earn some of them millions of dollars before age 30. Watch the video above to see how gamers make money.
Generally speaking there are two big ways that gamers can make money: esports and live streaming.
In the former category, twenty-eight year old Ho Kun Xian started gaming as a young boy. He came from a poor family who managed to spare him $2 to spend on video arcades whenever he went. There he began to master the art of fighting games. Years later, he turned pro, earning thousands of dollars in prize money as a gamer.
Xian's story highlights the burgeoning esports industry, which is minting millionaires who play video games for a living by the age of 30.
Esports refers to competitive video gaming where teams or individuals play against each other in games such as EA's "FIFA" series or Valve Corporation's "Dota 2" for hundreds of thousands of dollars in prize money, in front of millions of viewers watching online and in physical arenas. Market research firm Newzoo forecasts the esports economy will grow to $905.6 million this year and $1.4 billion by 2020.
While esports may be smaller than traditional sports leagues like soccer's Premier League in the U.K. or the NBA, it's growing rapidly with new jobs and careers being made.
"I think I never thought, 'I better do this,' because even when I was 18 years old, there was no such thing as a pro gaming career, so this career didn't exist," Xian told CNBC.
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How To Make Money Playing Video Games

[@cafelampung4717]

Now I just need to show this video to my mother.

[@nah3298]

Gaming should *NOT* be your first job choice.

[@aoi5571]

@@moanky3600 hmm cant find u

[@phosphophyllite6243]

@@jassimmohd1418 lol even if you go on school.. 98%percent if what you learn is a waste

[@thandozungu2428]

Me too

[@cafelampung4717]

@@jassimmohd1418 As long as you enjoy doing something, it is not a waste of time.

[@pheonixeye_1162]

Best method: Find Mr. Beast

[@iamalolz]

Gg

[@vipul8257]

Lol yes

[@sachlangjamatia7141]

Yeah ,be next pewdepie and insult others country

[@atharvaphadtare2151]

Why ?

[@icefrost3505]

Oh yeah. He has tons of money. I literally mean it because as he says they spend a $100000 per video

[@MinerHut]

Don’t forget how stressful pro gamers are

[@FelipeL67]

Hey, if you're a pro gamer you better believe you are passionate about playing, takes more dedication than most other paths of life just to get fairly high yet nowhere near pro level

[@pixelcount350]

@@FelipeL67 Na he's right. Its incredibly tough and grind is heavy.

[@user-ch7nq1uj2p]

@@pixelcount350 Well thats every job. You can't give them more credit just because they sit longer than other jobs.

[@pixelcount350]

@@user-ch7nq1uj2p That's how ever sport player is like.

[@nivles5948]

True

[@abhinavraut3099]

The guy who made this video. Increase his pay!

[@quackcharge]

make them explain why they used that stock footage at the end and not Bulldog clapping the TI desk Dansgame

[@JavierPerez-ri3mr]

Brother, I have found you. Sidenote: you have any links to the profile picture? I've been trying to find it but cant

[@vreport8389]

Well in fortnite I have 1056 solo 432 duo and 874 squad but im inly 14 so cant really go to tournaments yet

[@fallenafterling4128]

why

[@subhibano3494]

@@fallenafterling4128 minimum age is 16

[@pottingsoil]

The quality of CNBC's videos has skyrocketed.

[@mojozach7688]

Because it’s not about Donald Trump Russian Collusion etc

[@belqismomeni6860]

Kindergarten

[@nachannachle2706]

A (recent) history of Teenage's dreams: 1970s: I want to be an accountant 1980s: I want to be an engineer 1990s: I want to be a businesswo/man 2000s: I want to be a Tech entrepreneur 2010s: I want to be a reality TV celebrity 2020s: I want to be an E-sport player

[@kokodoge333]

A (recent) history of Parent’s replies: 1970s: No 1980s: No 1990s: No 2000s: No 2010s: No 2020s: No

[@demonlxrd]

vortex_bee ツ lmfao

[@dyl2635]

2020: I want to survive*

[@hazaltiger5601]

@@dyl2635 yea man it's hard out there, just saw a police car in the park near by my home like wtf

[@KD-fv7rk]

1800s: I want to industrialize!!

[@kgb__1001]

All them gamers be showing this to they mommas...

[@risalshahbinlatif-6109]

to prove you can get money by playing games lol.

[@GrandMasterLynx]

More like their Dad’s since Moms are more supporting

[@beserk7752]

@@risalshahbinlatif-6109 true

[@rg.0333]

It’s true, my mom is way more supporting than my dad.

[@kiwizlucks4947]

Mario Palagi I told my parents about it and they thought it awesome and they were both supportive about it and I’m currently twitch streaming and making some money from it but I’m only 14 (about $25 average a week) I just started a month ago also

[@TheExecutiveProducer]

Its annoying how the media makes the only one good thing in gaming is making money Not enjoyment Not friends Just money

[@corniel657]

I mean if I could make money out of it I wouldn't mind

[@sid98geek]

(Slightly irrelvant comment) It's gaming's turn now. This isn't the first time that such a thing is happening: Education is also looked at just a means to earn money. That's it, which is why even the best educational systems in the world focus only on preparing a workforce. Other types of education, especially moral education, are not taken into account. I mean, I am not one of those guys who says money doesn't is not everything, but people have to understand that just like the way gaming is firstly for enjoyment and then for everything else, education is more than just a means to earn money.

[@TheSacredHunter3]

A lot of Career gamers don't have much fun playing as it becomes a burden. Thinking of people like Ninja specifically who plays Fortnite and only Fortnite 12 hours a day 6 days a week. Personally I can't commit to playing like that.

[@michaelgriffith3964]

It’s because the money gains from video games are emerging.. enjoyment and friends from gaming have always been around lol.

[@Lucas-sk5lu]

the video isn’t called “how gamers make friends” or “how gamers enjoy themselves”. It’s how to make money playing video games. You should’ve expected that when you clicked this video

[@Rockstar-lr6lg]

I showed this to my mother I got disowned

[@prince_sach50]

My parents would do the same lol I'm gonna go to community college and game or join the pro wrestling business on the side

[@SamSam-ru1nf]

SP FromNY914 You’d like taking bumps for living

[@esker1157]

Unfortunate

[@doices9786]

@@prince_sach50 same, I make stonks for a living out of college students' car

[@AModak]

What does that mean I'm young and stupid ok

[@josephblake9422]

Well I earned $ 1250 through James, had doubts but glad I gave it a shot

[@josephblake9422]

Oh can what’zapp

[@josephblake9422]

Or text

[@josephblake9422]

+1

[@josephblake9422]

470

[@josephblake9422]

645

[@muditgambhir1455]

Could barely hear the music. Why don't you make it even louder? 😒

[@legolas7r]

Hahahahhahaha

[@muditgambhir1455]

Moses Tong Sarcasm. 😕

[@johngddr5288]

Didnt notice the music till u pointed it out. But its probably different speakers

[@Vernardo]

I think there was a problem with your speakers!

[@monkeynarx4368]

Cause ur not here to listen to music but what he saying

[@Aquadood23]

gamers rise up

[@wyattschannel2161]

I want to do this for a living so bad i love playing video games

[@Megaforce179]

belle delphine intensifies

[@kpopperful]

It pays well if you’re good looking too.

[@user-om3zl1ny3g]

And girl

[@zombiie64]

Or funny

[@typicaltestr1801]

*Pokimane intensifies*

[@eastonj6361]

Glad to see esports is finally growing. I remember when gaming was perceived as bad, nowadays it can be a actual job.

[@SSGoatanks]

Schools are even offering scholarships to students who win tournaments - Imagine getting a full ride to represent a university just for being good at video games 🎮

[@rogerstephenroth8073]

For a brutally competitive field if gamers are very good they turn pro and make fortunes from tournaments and livestream. It is not like every player in video games is good enough to turn pro, but if a person has talent today they can make a fortune and it is a very big business as well resulting in billions of dollars in revenue. E-sports is going to continue to grow as the 2020's approach and we could see a integration of VR, AR, MR technology and internet play a role in the evolution of video games and communication as well.

[@xrayded5037]

This is true but remember it’s a grind it takes years and years to build a community also comes with the support of your loved ones it’s a struggle trust me!

[@quietgamer5]

I thought about doing it but I wanna get paid instantly when I 1st stream otherwise I would like it's a waste of time

[@rocketpencil5948]

@@quietgamer5 That's definitely not happening. It takes years and years to make money

[@dopaminejuice]

Ninja is making over $1million a month on Twitch.

[@jachtancrozomer1508]

Wow where are you getting those outrageous numbers from 😂😂😂

[@user-pp3sv8pu2i]

I think its actually 500k

[@jachtancrozomer1508]

@@user-pp3sv8pu2i more like 50k

[@dopaminejuice]

@@jachtancrozomer1508 He's confirmed as the biggest streamer in the world. You can find his recent interview on CNBC. Streamers also get donations. He literally gets $100s from people in his chat every few minutes. Not to mention. He has brand sponsorship like with Samsung. He got a commercial with Samsung and more.

[@jachtancrozomer1508]

@@dopaminejuice taxes ?

[@alexwholland]

CNBC 5 years late to the 'news'

[@belqismomeni6860]

48 52 14

[@FP19487]

It always funny when the ‘adults’ like Kimmel and others trying to make sense of money in gaming when 99% of the time these gamers/streamers make better content than they do in their entire tv shows careers. Can’t wait for them to get old and just breed out.

[@zedrhyx1788]

Atleast they have real job

[@zanderhamilton7908]

@@zedrhyx1788 So, what constitutes a "real job" in your mind? By calling gaming a job that is not a real job, that means other things like acting and singing are not real jobs.

[@pixelcount350]

@@zedrhyx1788 lmao Real job

[@ridhosandiyudha8225]

@@zanderhamilton7908 its not a problem as long you can earn money from playing games

[@zanderhamilton7908]

@@ridhosandiyudha8225 I know. I believe professional gaming to be nearly equal, if not equal, to say professional players for other sports. The work they do is for entertainment purposes. Same with other entertainment jobs such as acting and singing. It may seem easy, but all these people have to work hard to come out on top, no matter the profession. There's a reason these people are most likely making way more money than you.

[@angryroadster7772]

They're lucky making lots of cash. And we're here struggling making views with crappy desktop. Freaking we over here getting paid by the minimum wage . It's gonna take while to get a better Pc.

[@pixelcount350]

Lol the grind is real.

[@jasvinsan]

Saying u guys are struggling makes me wanna die.. Iam so poor.. my laptop barely reaches 30fps on cs go in lowest settings

[@AlexGamingAlexGaming02]

Don't let that stop you the grind is real. Not everyone started with a good pc.

[@vbby]

Get a job then you bum

[@kizo5504]

Barely*

[@An1m3]

This is a great video. I remember grinding 12 hours in faceit daily ladder for csgo and getting first place. I won a whopping $2.50 in points!

[@MarcusOnPC]

If anyone tries to stream from scratch to make money, you'll be disappointed. You'll need a lot of time and investment to build a channel up

[@bibixx3588]

Are you saying is not worth it?

[@leonvt3049]

@@bibixx3588 hes saying prepare if your grinding

[@rocketpencil5948]

@@bibixx3588 It is, I play games a lot, but there's lots of things needed to acctualy make money. Most importantly you need to be very good at the game

[@bavebelenduae]

Famous minecraft youtuber 'Dream' went from 1.6 million to 12 million in one year. Time doesn't matter, if your content is entertaining.

[@rocketpencil5948]

@@bavebelenduae Exactly. But even if you content is entertaining, there's always people who's content is even more fun to watch

[@mace_vl]

This was really well made. Expected it to be a mocking of the industry as most news sites do.

[@TanvirAlif]

I would either be a gamer or a car racer if I was in abroad. Being born in one of the poorest countries I couldn’t get to do any of these. Cars are super expensive and the availability of internet was very little. I do love playing and driving. It’s not like one of those things which you don’t like but have to do for living. With pings over 200ms gaming becomes a nightmare.

[@Hfajardo97]

Hopefully you find a job that you can be happy with soon!

[@thandozungu2428]

I live in South Africa ..i feel u

[@kamalnesr]

@@thandozungu2428 wifi in south africa, for the most part, is great, but the only problem is that u guys have to connect to European servers, which are extremely far. If u had african servers, u would be getting pings of 30-40

[@fongchye1946]

salute man salute

[@abhijaysaraswat83]

But the biggest problem related to gaming career specially in India is scarcity of time there is so much pressure on studies and even lack of competitive platforms.Very few competitons are held in India and that too of pubg mobile only.

[@imperiexyt6478]

Yaa man... you are right 😫

[@anggarakun8786]

Who cares about india?

[@abhijaysaraswat83]

Don't be mean plz.We also play games.

[@rookeva8688]

Goku Bhandari Subscribe to pewdiepie and we all good

[@rakantion]

Are we all gonna ignore how the us air force is a sponser for some teams

[@alfa8728]

rakantion where else are they gonna get their drone operators?

[@whut9245]

Came here expecting news outlet having now idea how games work and left actually kind of respecting how well researched this video was.

[@Brian4853]

I went into this video thinking it would be stupidly oversimplified and have a narrative of "people surprisingly make money from playing games". The video was actually outstanding and informative. Well done.

[@Bandofbros_]

Yeah it's all about that grind. I do bfv and pubg mobile. Pretty different between the two but I love it

[@Aditya-cb1sy]

Is there is a possibility to make videos without background music?

[@tryomama]

Now this is a good video and I approve it. You guys surely learn from what other main stream news had done wrong

[@kunaii_cs]

For real though I thought I watched something from VICE or theScore. Good video.

[@thevaldis1167]

1:47 Is that Ninja near the middle to a little bit right!?

[@tjhrishaant9020]

Who else is gonna show this to their parents

[@red3768]

TJ .HRISHAANT not me my parents have always thought video games are a waste of time and for the most part they are right showing this to my parents will make them what buy me into r6 pro leauge overwatch leauge csgo major leauge what matters is skill

[@SahilSharma-mu4yk]

And then get disowned.

[@hahahahahha8458]

Most of our indian parents will never understand RIP ALL PEOPLE WHO HAVE POTENTIAL TO GO PRO OR BECOME A GREAT STREAMER BUT CAN'T BECAUSE OF THEIR PARENTS🙏🙏🙏

[@leviack31]

@@hahahahahha8458 not just indians bro, this is the problem of every "asian" parents. Asian parents are the most strict and asian kids are the most stressed ones.

[@PROGAMER-fp9ds]

@@leviack31 fax

[@NistaDGB]

I remember daily tournaments on gamebattles and maybe making 400-600$ a week after grinding every night in scrims and winning the tourneys for mw2. And the checks took 60-90 days to show up , wasn’t cutting it for my parents so I had to get a job sadly :/

[@theofilosdimas6677]

I really wasn't expecting a big network to cover this so well

[@onijaradu]

The music sucks tho

[@mooomooo6876]

If all people in the world play games who will plant the food.. 😁

[@rb7956]

The farmers 😁😁😁

[@impartial6119]

mooo mooo the trash players that quit

[@raflo7081]

Why don’t all the poor people plant food??

[@ajbro6428]

I will

[@sid98geek]

Robots will plant the food... for some time... before they go haywire and start an uprise.

[@oluwashinormustapha2823]

Well researched guys. I now understand the gaming culture better.

[@AvgJane19]

Lol As soon as I saw the title I knew Austin would be there. He's super awesome, watch him on twitch!

[@RealZahh]

Here in the future to tell anyone who comes across this it's 2022 games have all been turned into Free-To-Play Online only experiences with everyone using a battle pass system, I hope in the future developers will go make to making quality games for us the consumers

[@cloneorclown9550]

It's rough going pro but ever since I was 13 and saw pro players play with other pros I felt inspired by it so I got addicted of trying to be the best and I went from Dota2 to leagueoflegends to overwatch I grinded for years trying to be good enough for pro eventually I got into a game called overwatch which is the one where I peaked 4100 sr I gotta tell you reaching 4000 sr gm only 200 sr from top 500 got me really happy i was closer to becoming pro I wanted to stream but my wifi was bad I lived with my parents I got kicked out of high school cause of bad gba and I still lived with my parents was 16 when I got kicked out of school now 18 I'm willing to play hard and lose it all to go pro im willing to die for my passion going pro was my dream since I was 13 now I live with my sister I pay rent going start streaming when I get better pc and better internet hope you never let your dreams die !

[@wtfimcrying]

CLONEORCLOWN gh

[@zenqi8845]

Good luck dude

[@prodj.mixapeofficial6431]

Gudluck

[@subhibano3494]

Good luck!

[@Lucas-sk5lu]

Good luck!

[@turtletrading4207]

Very few people make millions of dollars while playing videogames. Those people are either very good at the game, very entertaining or both. So... stay in school kids.

[@michaszulc2418]

If you want to earn millions and aren't korean, then don't bother lul

[@rycchi1331]

Agreed. But thats the same with every sport.

[@christopherbeltran5020]

Same with traditional sport athletes

[@christopherbeltran5020]

You dont sound very smart

[@tryomama]

So does the entertainment industry, or the "real" sport industry, or engineering industry or the art Industry

[@tassywassy]

well researched!

[@lukescrabis1341]

Very well done video love the narrator

[@noface9920]

i love how they didn’t use ninja that much for views

[@prod.erebus]

0:09 what is this monitor setup

[@Chandlerd17]

Are the salaries monthly or yearly , thanks for the clarification.

[@porofoxx7048]

Monthly

[@AhllanIgnacio]

nice video, well researched...

[@Obi-Wan_Kenobi]

Ouch. This video makes the Overwatch league look cheap.

[@RestedAura2]

Oof, yea

[@RestedAura2]

And they just kick their best twitch player xQc

[@artmanrom]

:) If earning $50k a month sounds 'cheap' to you. XD

[@NikooBoi]

@@artmanrom it is compared to fortnite lol

[@corniel657]

Cheap league anyway

[@viniwnl]

“BUGHAAAA” -Fortnite announcer when bugha won 3 million dollars

[@vusurivinay]

Please make a video on Music Industry Vs Gaming Industry Which earns more money.

[@Brand-yk6dw]

main stream media will never be able to replicate games because theres always a new kid on the block meaning youll have to start back to square 1 when playing a new game especially if a tournament is hosted by the game creators themselves so theyll always be independent and can always deny making any tournament not official to go towards their inside league. its like EVO, only certain games get in that year.

[@maahirrahi3416]

Wheres the disscussion of memes? Thats what I came for!!!

[@JamesJohnson-yy1xt]

This is something I am interested in.

[@OnurTheXbot]

Gaming being a job makes me so happy.

[@kkty159]

whats the entrance fees for these kind of competition events? whats the criteria that need to be satisfied in order to be eligible to participate? How do I participate in these competition events with my own team? I dont want a sponsor

[@nimomaniachannel]

I have found...the way. I should have done this year's back

[@abdi6381]

Oh I’m showing this video to my parents.

[@xtr_drippy9603]

What subject do I have to choose to work for a gaming company

[@MikeySlice]

Learning how to make money playing by playing games is not an easy task. But I’ve devoted my channel to educating others how to do so.

[@drunkersgamers184]

people commenting this is not sport ,think chess think that indoor sport , it's still same .

[@amelmesic8876]

My dream job like playing games and earning lot of money😂

[@abhishek_ogale]

When was this recorded?

[@GoldenNinja50]

Everyone today is a pro player.

[@PewDiePepe]

It could be a good part time job some extra money plus you get to play & have fun that you always​ wanted.

[@SkyhookBball]

You missed the point

[@yashsingh4165]

5:55 ninja playing Fortnite on screen

[@CharDhue]

3:30 idk why u mentioning minimum sallary and average salary in differnce game there Should be consistent so we can compare it

[@FinancialFreedomFF]

Great video CNBC

[@fanarts5290]

gaming industry is the bigger than music and movies combined!!!

[@rb7956]

Yeah, it's true

[@ihavememesyouwannaseethem]

Um

[@Lightyagami-tx2xb]

Not in my country

[@tapio3376]

Nah b

[@kipp4805]

Gaming is a part of the entertainment industry. It's also definitely not bigger than movies nor music. But okay whatever you say.

[@elishanissi5178]

Yeah its true.. I'm 19 and I have over $2 million

[@lunatic2178]

Ok

[@xKayou]

Elisha Nissi 🧢

[@MikeMentzerHITBearer]

great how do i sign up to become a gamer though/?

[@tynishaappell1144]

I tried so many websites but this is AMAZING

[@mrkaktus2659]

2:45 sponsored by xbox

[@shaad2841]

Shroud is my favourite export player. He is pro in pubg & csgo

[@snowstorm-_-]

who's your favorite import player?

[@dkaloger5720]

Mum : what do you want to do when you grow up Me : gamer

[@MrTheHeroBrine100]

Sure but how do you get into the esports scene?

[@cripplingdepression9392]

Then they all need glasses from staring at a screen so long

[@satoshimiyamoto7092]

they see dollar signs instead

[@popeye3221]

Mann I need to do this I play everyday

[@klaso6497]

Kuroky: i made 3m $ playing video games. Bugha:😊

[@RemmyLebo]

Wowzers! Team Alpha Gaming Approves ;)

[@aramzie3714]

Best way to make money playing video games - Stream on a platform - become an esports gamer - be a chick

[@PRYZMINDLESS786]

Your just influenced a bunch of kids to become esport pros

[@baladan7433]

I doubt kids are watching are watching CNBC

[@hxcq5883]

I'm a kid..... Anyway I have no intrest in computer games

[@200odd300]

I think if a kid plays video games they're already interesting in being a pro

[@DaddyFade]

I'm a kid and yeah I'm going pro hahaha

[@pixelcount350]

@@200odd300 Not everyone. I think most people understand how hard it is to become a pro.

[@shreyaspadmakiran3235]

My dedication for gaming is worth

[@azae00Vids]

and here I am trying to draw and build my artwork channel.. tough times .. lol

[@musicnmovies8573]

And my mom said that u cant earn money through games and that im gonna go nowhere in life

[@yaku1203]

I'm gonna twitch stream destiny 2 if i cant find a good enough job lmao

[@LazyAndSuffering]

Hi there, I have to say there is nothing better than making money from something that you really love doing... So thank you for letting me earn good money from what I love to do best! - Playing First Person Shooters and RPGS!

[@anandshete9170]

5:56 Welcome to my world ! Lmao

[@lulljtee2846]

The fact pubg was mentioned.... Respect

[@user-lx1ks8bl7l]

I tell you how: PEEEWWWDIIIIIEEEEPIIIIEEE

[@artmanrom]

:) PewDiePie is less of a gamer and more an entertainer.

[@corniel657]

He's a meme Lord now

[@arjunyeleshwarapu]

That👏 is👏 very👏 true👏

[@CanisoGaming]

Poodiepie

[@bigmanolo26]

Yup he started it all

[@redcobra9588]

Let's hope e sport getting more bigger and very open up for publik even more

[@skya.cramer8709]

id love to stream just for the fun of it but my max upload speed 2 lol

[@thenasiudk1337]

Me: "mom I have new job" Mom: "what is it" Me : "gamers" Mom: *"no u"*

[@ashleyplays9107]

*my future job I don't care what my parents say like: game does nothing for you ima prove them wrong so ik my future job gamer*

[@hemantparakh8995]

Please suggest some Video Game contests to begin from with levels as 100cc 200cc 300cc 400cc

[@skiipzey]

Already know all of this, living through it lol

[@RelikRS]

2:39 Fat ninja confirmed

[@dreel37]

I like your breaking benches profile pic

[@RelikRS]

Ty.

[@arytonly]

Interesting🤔

[@ihavetowait90daystochangem67]

But we’re the most oppressed group in the world?

[@prince_sach50]

we are

[@ornn6177]

instead of watching this 7 min video the answer is they're the best at what they do they're likable and entertaining just like normal celebrates and sports players

[@parentpatrol2752]

US Air Force is smart for sponsoring, considering that most of the esports audience is young. Which gets them more enlistments.