eSports Athletes Won Over $2.7 Million in 2017

Grossing over $2.7 million in total prizes, the top 10 mobile video game player rankings were dominated by women who accounted for 70% of the list. The top mobile athlete claimed tournament prizes totaling over $420,000 in 2017, placing her in the top 25 highest-earning eSports athletes in the world, according to eSportsEarnings.com.

Top Skillz Competitors of 2017

“There’s a reason Skillz games have been a big part of my daily life for several years,” said Alex Heitmann, who ranked in the top 10 for the second year in a row. “I’ve always loved competing with others to become the best, but I never thought I’d be able to earn a living playing video games.”

Beyond the players, the industry’s growth is also a testament to the game developers who have created these emerging sports. With over $25 million in prizes last year, Tether Studios’ Cube Cube awarded more money to players in 2017 than top eSports titles such as Valve’s Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Activision Blizzard’s Call of Duty and Supercell’s Clash Royale.

“Just as Shaun White defined snowboarding and Tony Hawk popularized skateboarding, Skillz competitors are defining what it means to be an eSports athlete,” said Andrew Paradise, CEO and founder of Skillz.

This news punctuates a noteworthy 2017 for Skillz as the company released the world’s largest multi-app chat technology, announced $25 million in Series C funding from Telstra and Liberty Global Ventures, and was named the fastest-growing company in America by Inc. Magazine.

The top Skillz competitors are ranked based upon total tournament prizes won by each player, excluding any entry fees paid to enter those tournaments.