Which Country Has The Best Esports Gamers in 2020?

In less than two decades, competitive gaming has rapidly grown from being a fairly niche activity to becoming one of the most exciting entertainment trends in the world. The esports industry will surpass a net worth of $1 billion in 2020 and could be worth as much as $3 billion by 2022. There are now millions of players of top titles like League of Legends, Fortnite, Dota 2 and CS:GO. Professional competitors now number in the tens of thousands for CS:GO, and in the thousands for other top titles. And, the best esports gamers in the world now herald from almost every country around the globe.

There is now no doubt that esports is a truly global phenomenon, but there is still plenty of debate about which country manages to consistently produce the world’s best competitive gamers.

If we take a look by the statistics today, as per Esports Earnings, the highest-earning and arguably the quantifiably best esports players in the world come from a healthy mix of countries.

Dota 2 player Johan “N0tail” Sundstein has won nearly $7 million in prize money, he’s from Denmark. Also in the top ten esports gamers are players from Finland, Australia, France, Germany, Jordan, Bulgaria, and Lebanon. Of course, these earnings are skewed by the sheer success of Dota 2 players but in the top 100 best esports gamers by earnings the USA, China, South Korea, Brazil and other countries feature strongly.

Here’s a quick look at some of the nations which have given us some of the most legendary esports stars.

1. South Korea

As South Korea is widely regarded as being the country that kickstarted the whole esports phenomenon, it’s little surprise to find that this nation has routinely given us many of the best competitive gaming stars.

Famous South Korean esports stars like “Faker” are a big reason as to why games like League of Legends have enjoyed such a high level of popularity, he has won over $1.2 million in esports prize money. Other South Korean stars like “Bang” and “Wolf” have certainly pushed the case for this nation being home to the world’s best gamers. Both compete in League of Legends and both have won nearly $1 million in esports prize money.

Not only has esports been broadcast on public television for nearly 20 years in South Korea, but the country has also government-supported academies for professional gamers to ensure that it continues to generate the esports stars of the future.

2. China

The Chinese government was initially fairly opposed to competitive gaming, but in 2019 esports was formerly recognized and its growing popularity in the country led to predictions that China would soon become the second-largest esports market after the US. China has now even established a dedicated esports town in Hangzhou to develop the next generation of competitive gaming talent.

China’s esports and gaming industry is the world’s largest by number of gamers. Half of China’s population, around 600 million people, play games on phone, PC, or console, as per iResearch.

League of Legends star “Uzi,” has earned over $545,000 in prize money but Dota 2 player “Somnus” has almost reached prize winnings of $3 million.

3. USA

Of course, the USA was never going to miss out on a chance to provide some of the best esports stars in the world. From multi-millionaire celebrity Fortnite gamer “Ninja,” to “Sneaky” and his incredible achievements as a League of Legends player. The USA has given us some spectacular gamers.

As everyone knows, Dota 2 provides some of the biggest earning esports stars and it’s interesting to see just how many US gamers like “UNiVeRsE”, “ppd” and “Fear” have crept up the highest earnings list in recent times. That said, “Bugha” stole the highest-earning US player record in 2019 with his Fortnite World Cup Solo win. All of which shows that the USA is another esports powerhouse.

4. Germany

If you were going by career earnings alone, then you would have to include Germany in the shortlist of countries with the best esports players. Thanks in part to the epic Dota 2 talents of “KuroKy,” who has won over $5 million in prize money, we have seen the German esports scene going from strength to strength.

From Dota 2’s “FATA” to SMITE’s “NinjaDimi,” as well as “ShoWTimE”’s abilities in StarCraft II, there’s plenty of evidence that Germany can provide the world with some truly exceptional competitive gaming stars.

5. Sweden

As Sweden is home to the hugely influential DreamHack esports tournament, it’s little surprise that many of this nation’s gamers have made their presence felt with devastating effect. From the Dota 2 talents of “s4” and “ZAi,” to the CS:GO firepower of “Olofmeister,” “f0rest” and “KRiMZ,” there’s plenty to suggest that Sweden is seriously punching above its weight when it comes to which country produces the best esports players.

What’s impressive about Sweden’s gamers is their ability to put in spectacular performances in a variety of different games. From the stunning efforts of “Armada” in Super Smash Bros, to the skills of “Toxjqs” in Quake 4, it’s easy to see why Sweden has quickly emerged as an esports superpower.

6. Brazil

It might surprise many people to find Brazil in our shortlist for the best esports stars. But you have to remember that the legendary Brazilian gamer, “Coldzera,” has dominated CS:GO in recent years.

This first-person shooter has proven to be incredibly popular amongst Brazilian gamers with the likes of “Fallen,” “fer” and “TACO” all showing some exceptional skill. “FalleN” is now Brazil’s highest earning esports professional, with prize winnings of over $1 million. It seems as though Brazil can also produce some serious gaming talent.

7. Russia

With legendary Russian esports teams like Virtus.pro still managing to provide plenty of formidable opposition to other global rivals, there will be little surprise that we had to include Russia in our shortlist of top competitive gaming nations.

Whether it’s the likes of “Solo” winning big in a Dota 2 tournament, or “flamie” providing a masterclass in CS:GO, it’s clear that Russian esports stars are always worth keeping an eye on. Don’t forget that Russia tends to dominate titles like World of Tanks too, with gamers like “Inspirer,” “LeBwa,” “Nuclear,” and “Neskwi,” proving to be devastating when playing this top esport.