Image Courtesy: DreamHack | Adela Sznajder
- EG paid $75,000 USD to acquire RAMZES666.
- The maximum salary of an esports player is around $35,000 per month ($420k a year).
- Chinese Dota 2 players' salaries and transfer fees are much higher.
One of the most high-profile transfers following the conclusion of The International 9 was that of Roman "RAMZES666" Kushnarev who left CIS team Virtus.Pro (VP) to join NA powerhouse Evil Geniuses (EG).
Considered by many as one of the finest Dota 2 players in the world, many speculated that the NA org paid through the roof for acquiring RAMZES666. In a report published by Forbes, it was revealed that EG paid $75,000 USD to acquire the Russian player.
The report also revealed the average salaries of Dota 2 pro players.
The maximum salary of a player in esports is $35,000 per month. Only superstars get this kind of money, there are very few of them in the world. Players at the top level can count on $10,000 - $15,000, beginners - $2,000 - $5,000 per month. Small organizations pay less, $500 to $1,000.
Earlier this year, V1lat revealed that Vladimir "RodjER" Nikogosyan cost Virtus.Pro $100k while confirming that RAMZES666 cost EG less than $100k.
Chinese Dota 2 Numbers
It should be noted that the Forbes report is primarily based on the salaries and transfer fees of western Dota 2/CS:GO pros. The Chinese esports scene tends to pay a lot more (both in transfer fees and wages) for professional players.
- In a stream featuring retired Chinese professionals Zhang "xiao8" Ning (Currently coaching EHOME) and BurNIng (co-owner of Team Aster), they revealed that former LGD Gaming player Ame’s buyout was around $3 Million.
- In 2015, it was officially announced that ViCi Gaming paid 1 Million RMB($140k) for transferring Chen "Hao" Zhihao from Newbee.
- In 2015, LGD Gaming acquitted xiao8 for 2 Million RMB($280k).
