As the esports and gaming industry continues to boom, so too does the representation of female players. Although most esports players are made of men, there are still plenty of female professionals who thrive in the industry. So who are the top 5 female esports earners in the industry?
Top Female Esports Earners
Esports Earners identified the top female esports earners and players across the many competitive spaces. These notable figures also come from a variety of esports titles and scenes. Whereas the highest-earning male esports players typically come from Dota 2 because of The International and its massive prize pools.
Starcraft 2 Scarlett
Sasha “Scarlett” Hostyn is currently the highest-earning female esports player with $393,528.19 so far. She’s even the first woman in history to win a Starcraft major. Recently, the Starcraft esports player even signed with Shopify Rebellion, the brand’s new team. Although the game’s competitive scene is not widely supported, Starcraft 3 still sees major tournaments. Fans will want to follow her to see how far Scarlett and Shopify Rebellion go.
Hearthstone VKLiooon
In her career so far, Li “VKLiooon” Xiaomeng has earned a whopping $238,010 and holds the second spot. As one of the biggest Hearthstone esports players, she made news as one of the few women to make it far. VKLiooon saw her biggest peak of fame at the end of 2019. She became the first woman to win the Hearthstone Grandmasters Global Finals. Upon taking the victory, she commemorated it with an inspiring speech to promote more women in esports.
“I want to say to all the girls out there that have a dream for esports, for competition, for glory: If you want to do it and believe in yourself, you should just forget your gender and go for it,” VKLiooon stated.
CS:GO Mystik
Kat “Mystik” Gunn currently contributes to the gaming and esports industry as an influencer, streamer, and cosplayer. As the third-highest female esports earner, her winnings total around $122,550. Her competitive career began strongly when she participated in early CS:GO esports competitions. Championship Gaming Series (CGS) held various competitive tournaments and led her to massive earnings. She competed there under team Carolina Core, who saw great success. Though the team and CGS did not last long, it helped push Mystik into prominence.
Teamfight Tactics Hafu
Fourth on the list of highest-earning female esports players is Rumay “Hafu” Wang. Currently a top streamer on Twitch, she became quickly known for her skill in Teamfight Tactics. Thus far, her earnings total about $84,466.67. Although she has not participated in any esports events recently, her passion quickly became realized as a streamer. In November 2020, she even became the second most-viewed female streamer just behind “Valkyrae.”
Street Fighter Ricki Ortiz
Wrapping up the list of the top 5 highest-earning female esports players is Ricki Ortiz. Earning an estimated $81,366.18 in her competitive career, she’s known for her performances in the fighting game community. Right now, Ricki plays under Evil Geniuses in the FGC, specifically Street Fighter. She even placed second in the 2016 Capcom Cup, below former champion Du “NuckleDu” Dang.
The best part about the top 5 female players by earnings is their involvement in different esports. These accomplishments are even greater when considering that they aren’t involved in Dota 2, where the most money is earned. This list also excludes female content creators and streamers that didn’t participate in esports, who likely earn even more than the players. Now that series like Rocket League Goals For Change and VCT Game Changers actively help lift women into esports, the numbers here will certainly grow in coming years.
Written by Justin Amin
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