Top 10 Countries in eSports Ranked by Prizes Won in 2024

Top 10 Highest Earning European Countries in eSports for 2024

Even people who don’t follow the Esports industry up close know that some of the best players in the world earn a lot of money. The top-tier Esports titles attract sponsors from various industries, resulting in jaw-dropping prize pools. This, combined with the fact that some players have very high salaries, results in them earning millions.

Speaking of millions, Nostrabet.com has access to the results from 2024, and it seems like the German Esports players won a total of $4.1M. Although this is an impressive amount, it actually leaves them outside the top 3 in Europe. “All regions around the world have leading Esports teams, but Europe is usually in a league of its own. The region dominates most popular games except for titles like Honor of Kings, League of Legends, and a few more options”, said Kristiyan from NB.

The 2024 stats for the highest earning Esport countries in Europe are interesting, to say the least. It’s time to go through each of the top nations and learn more details about them.

Highest Earning eSports countries in Europe (2024)

Number 1 – Russia – $11.85M

When it comes down to the countries whose Esports players won the most money in Europe in 2024, Russia is in the lead. This may surprise some, but the country’s athletes won more than $11.85M last year.

Russia is usually leading in 2 of the major Esports titles – Dota 2 and Counter-Strike.
If we take a look at the stats, we can see that Russian Esports players won more than $89M so far (in total, not just for 2024).
$38M out of that amount comes from Dota 2, whereas $20M is from Counter-Strike (CS:GO and CS2). Fortnite, PUBG, World of Tanks, and Rainbow Six Siege are also among the better-performing options.
In terms of the country’s most successful players, the first spot goes to Yaroslav “Miposhka” Naidenov with $5.8M. Interestingly, the first 7 names on the list are all Dota 2 players.

Number 2 – France – $5.56M

Speaking of the highest-earning Esports countries in Europe in 2024, France is second on the list. With a total of $5.56M earned in 2024, France proved itself as one of the go-to places for Esports on the continent.

France is famous for being one of the best nations in Counter-Strike and Fortnite.
Speaking of being the best overall, French Esports players have won close to $58M so far. Almost $12M is from Counter-Strike, $8M is from Fortnite, and $6.3M is from Rocket League.
Dota 2 is 4th on the list with $6M, but the interesting thing is that Sebastien “Ceb” Debs has earned $5.95M out of that $6M alone. He is among the best Dota 2 players ever because he won TI two times.

Number 3 – Denmark – $4.43M

The third name on the list of the highest-earning Esports countries in Europe in 2024 is Denmark. Despite the small size, the country is a big name in Esports and won more than $4.43M last year.

People who Esports know that Denmark is a household name for two titles – Counter-Strike and Dota 2.
The total earnings of Danish players so far is $61M, and $26M out of that amount comes from Counter-Strike. Dota 2 is responsible for around $15M, followed by Fortnite with $7.4M.
In terms of individual results, Johan “N0tail” Sundstein is first with $7.1M in earnings. What’s interesting is that this is the leading Esports player in the world when it comes to the amount won from playing.
The second name on the list (Andreas “Cr1t” Nielsen) has earned $3.1M, and he’s also a Dota 2 player. The third place is Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen, one of the most well-known CS2 stars.

Number 4 – Germany – $4.1M

As mentioned earlier in the article, the Esports players in Germany earned a total of $4.1M in 2024. Most people probably expected better results from the country, but the truth is that it did not live up to the expectations.

German Esports players are famous for being among the best in Dota 2, Fortnite, and Counter-Strike.
Overall, German Esports players have won $51.5M so far (in total), and Dota 2 accounts for $11.5M. Fortnite is 2nd with almost $6M, followed by Counter-Strike with $5.9M.
Like in most other countries, Dota 2 players in Germany also lead the chart regarding winnings. The first place goes to Kuro “KuroKy” Takhasomi with $5.3M, followed by Leon “Nine” Kirilin with $2M and Adrian “FATA” Trinks with $1.4M.

Number 5 – United Kingdom – $3.94M

The fifth country with the highest earning Esports starts in Europe in 2024 is the UK. The best players from this country won $3.94M in 2024, a respectable amount compared to the other names on the list.

Esports players in the UK have won $47M so far, and unlike the rest, the country has led in different games. Currently, UK players dominate Fortnite, Rocket League, and Call of Duty: Warzone.
Fortnite is responsible for $8.3M out of that $47M, followed by $3.8M for Rocket League and $2.5M for Call of Duty: Warzone.
As for individual Esports stars, Jaden “Wolfiez” Ashman leads with nearly $1.4M. The second place goes to Harry “Veno” Pearson with $845K, followed by Jamie “Insight” Craven with $830K.

Number 6 – Sweden – $3.69M

Sweden has always been one of the biggest names in Esports, so many people might be surprised it is so low on the list. Swedish Esports players are usually among the best in the world, but they only earned $3.69M in 2024.

When you think of Sweden and Esports, you automatically associate the country with Dota 2 and Counter-Strike.
Swedish Esports players have won more than $56M so far, $18M from Dota 2 and around $15M from Counter-Strike. Aside from these two games, Swedish players also perform really well in Fortnite, League of Legends, and SMITE.
If we check the best Swedish Esports players in terms of earnings, we will see that the first 5 are all from Dota 2. Ludwig “Zai” Wahlberg leads with $4.3M, followed by Gustav “s4” Magnusson with $2.7M and Samuel “Boxi” Svahn with $1.9M.

Number 7 – Ukraine – $3.44M

Ukraine is one of the leading countries in Esports, so it’s no surprise it is on the list of the best in Europe. The country’s best Esports players earned a total of $3.44M in 2024, slightly less than the amount in 2023.

Ukraine is famous for 2 games – Dota 2 and Counter-Strike. It has long traditions in both titles, and some of the best players in the world come from this country.
Overall, Ukrainian Esports players won $38.3M so far and a whopping $22M out of that amount is from Dota 2. Counter-Strike is 2nd on the list with around $7.6M.
Perhaps the most well-known Esports player from Ukraine is Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev. He is widely regarded as the best Counter-Strike player ever and has won more than $1.7M in his career so far.
Ilya “Yatoro” Mulyarchuk is the leader in earnings with $5.58M, followed by Miroslaw “Mira” Kolpakov with $5.56M.

Number 8 – Poland – $3.16M

When we look at the countries with the highest earnings in Esports in Europe in 2024, we can also find Poland on the list. The best Esports players here have earned $3.16M.

Polish Esports players have accumulated more than $30M so far.
The country is mostly famous for its Counter-Strike stars, but it is also big in Fortnite and League of Legends. With that said, Poland is also home to one of the best Dota 2 players.
Counter-Strike is responsible for $10M out of the $30M, followed by $5.7M for Fortnite, $3.7M for Dota 2, and $2.8M for League of Legends.
Michal “Nisha” Jankowski is leading in terms of individual results with $3.6M, followed by Michal “Kami” Kaminski with $1.5M. The third name on the list is Iwa “Setty” Zajac and he won $1.1M.

Number 9 – Turkey – $2.37M

The second-last spot on the list is for Turkey, and the local Esports players won $2.37M in 2024. Although Turkey is not the first name that comes to mind when talking about Esports, the country is slowly making its way to the top.

Turkish Esports players have won $13.67M so far.
If you check the different Esports, you will see that Turkey is big in PUBG: Mobile, Counter-Strike, and VALORANT.
PUBG: Mobile earned Turkish players $3.76M, followed by CS with $2.6M and VALORANT with $1.8M.
As for the most successful Turkish Esports players, the title goes to Ismailcan “XABTARES” Dortkardes with $556K.

Number 10 – Netherlands – $1.77M

The Netherlands was the last of the highest-earning Esports countries in Europe in 2024. To be fair, this is not the most famous country in the world when it comes to Esports. That said, there are several big names across several games that are worth knowing.

Overall, Esports players in the Netherlands have earned $18.4M.
The country’s leading Esports include Fortnite ($3.5M), Dota 2 ($2.6M), and Rocket League ($1.3M).
As for individual players, Melchior “Seleri” Hillenkamp leads the chart with $1.3M. Number 2 on the list is Dave “Rojo” Jong with $1.2M and Remco “Crystallis” Arets with $846K.

Conclusion

The European Esports scene is among the best in the world, and we expect it to continue to dominate. 2025 looks like a very interesting year because there are tons of top Esports events to follow. We can’t wait to see what’s going to happen, so stay tuned for more details.