The People’s Republic of China has retaken its position as the highest earner in competitive gaming winnings, breaking a three-year losing streak.
A new study from a secure wagering platform shows that Chinese competitive gamers earned a substantial $37 million in winnings during 2021, pushing them to the peak of the worldwide earnings rankings. This triumph comes after China lagged behind the United States in the runner-up spot for the preceding three years.
The United States currently occupies second place with an aggregate of $22.8 million in competitor earnings.
Competitive Gaming Income information emphasizes that this marks the first instance China has reclaimed its leading position since 2017. For the past several years, commencing in 2018, American competitive gaming competitors consistently outearned their Chinese rivals.
The overall winnings earned by Chinese competitive gamers witnessed a considerable surge from $17.9 million to $37.1 million in 2021. Conversely, the United States observed a decrease in earnings.
For example, American competitive gamers collectively earned $43.6 million in 2019, which plummeted to $23.1 million in 2020, and further dwindled to $22.8 million in 2021. The quantity of competitors representing the United States has also been steadily shrinking since 2019.
Russian competitive gamers have ascended the leaderboard to secure the third spot, closely trailing the United States. This is a notable leap considering they weren’t even among the top 10 back in 2019. In the previous year, Russian competitors held the sixth position with $4.4 million in earnings; however, in 2021, their total prize winnings escalated to $21.9 million, propelling them to third place.
South Korea encountered a downturn, settling in fourth place with an aggregate of $11 million in prize funds.
Esports organizations from China reigned supreme in 2021, claiming a staggering $22.1 million in winnings. This accomplishment marked a significant jump from their previous third-place rankings in 2019 and 2020. Ukraine’s competitive gaming landscape also experienced a boom, with its teams capturing the fifth global position and amassing $10.3 million in earnings. This achievement was particularly noteworthy given their absence from the top ten in the preceding years. Other nations demonstrating commendable performances in 2021 included Brazil, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, and Denmark, all securing spots within the top ten for esports income. Vyom Chaudhary, an editor at a secure wagering platform, remarked, “China and Ukraine were the titans of competitive gaming in 2021.” He further observed the downturn of American teams, who, despite reaching their zenith in 2019, faced challenges in upholding their supremacy, potentially attributed to the lingering effects of the global health crisis on the United States esports arena.