In a decisive triumph, Chinese competitive gamers reasserted their supremacy in 2021, capturing a world-leading $37 million in winnings and concluding a three-year reign by American players. This victory signifies China’s resurgence to the highest position as the top-earning country in esports.
A recent analysis by Safe Betting Sites emphasized the extraordinary accomplishment, disclosing that Chinese esports competitors collectively accumulated a remarkable $37 million in earnings throughout the year. This feat follows a three-year span where China held second place, trailing the United States.
The United States presently occupies the second spot with an aggregate of $22.8 million in prize funds.
Information from Esports Earnings verifies that this is the first instance since 2017 that China has attained the leading rank. From 2018 onward, American esports participants had consistently out-earned their Chinese rivals.
The year 2021 witnessed a substantial surge in income for Chinese esports athletes, with their overall prize money escalating from $17.9 million to an impressive $37.1 million. Conversely, the United States underwent a decrease in earnings.
As an illustration, in 2019, American esports players earned a combined $43.6 million in prize funds, which subsequently diminished to $23.1 million in 2020 and further contracted to $22.8 million in 2021. The quantity of players representing the United States has also been steadily dwindling since 2019.
Russian esports competitors emerged as a powerful presence, securing the third position just behind the United States. This attainment is particularly notable considering they were not even among the top ten highest-earning countries in 2019. In the preceding year, Russian players ranked sixth with $4.4 million in prize funds; however, in 2021, their total income surged to an impressive $21.9 million, propelling them to third place.
South Korea underwent a decline, falling to fourth place with an aggregate of $11 million in prize funds.
During the year 2021, esports competitors from China amassed a substantial $22.9 million in winnings, securing their position as the highest earners worldwide. This accomplishment marked a significant rise from their previous third-place standing in 2019 and 2020. Ukraine also emerged as a prominent contender in the esports realm, capturing the fifth spot with earnings reaching $10.3 million. This remarkable achievement followed the Eastern European country’s absence from the top ten rankings in the preceding years. Alongside China and Ukraine, the top ten earners for 2021 included teams representing Brazil, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, and Denmark.
As esports wagering specialist, Vijay Chaudhary, highlighted, “China and Ukraine emerged as the leading esports victors of 2021.” He further observed the downturn in American esports, stating, “Following their peak performance in 2019, the financial gains of US teams have been on a downward trajectory. The repercussions of the global health crisis continued to impact the US esports landscape throughout 2021.”
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