Every Counter-Strike 2 player has dreamt of becoming a professional at least once in their life. Stepping onto the stage of a major tournament, hearing the support of the crowd in the arena, and of course, earning a solid salary. In this article, we will tell you how much clubs spend on their CS2 rosters monthly.
From outside the organization, it's hard to understand how much any given esports player earns. It's even harder to estimate the salary levels of coaches, analysts, and other staff. Analyst Alex "Mauisnake" Ellenberg listed approximate amounts that organizations spend on their CS2 rosters in the form of salaries.
Alex did not disclose his sources, noting that the amounts paid by most teams are "simply known" to him. As for other teams, such as The Mongolz and Eternal Fire, the information about them is an estimate based on other data about these clubs and the CS2 market in general.
The Worst Investments
Some of the highest salaries on the tier-1 scene are received by representatives of Team Falcons and Team Liquid — $195,000 and $175,000 respectively. These two clubs made the worst investments compared to other representatives of the professional scene. Both teams failed in the first half of 2024 and even failed to qualify for the Major.
Price/Quality Ratio
FaZe Clan is an example of a team where the salary is fully justified by the results. In 2024, the team managed to win IEM Chengdu 2024 and take second place at the major. FaZe has also repeatedly won prizes at other major tournaments. The entire CS2 team's salary of $190,000 can be considered justified.
In terms of salary/results ratio, two more teams have performed well — The Mongolz and Eternal Fire. The clubs spend $30,000 and $50,000 per month respectively on their team salaries. In the past six months, both teams have won one S-tier event each and earned over $300,000 in prize money each.
The Best Investments
Three teams have been the most efficient in terms of salary — Team Spirit, Natus Vincere, and MOUZ. Each of these teams receives fairly average money for their work: Spirit — $100,000 per month, NAVI — $155,000, and MOUZ — $95,000. These are quite modest figures for the winners of IEM Katowice 2024, PGL Major Copenhagen 2024, and ESL Pro League Season 19. Especially considering the salary levels of other teams that have not come close to demonstrating these results.
CS2 Team Salaries
Note that the indicated amounts are calculated not only for the five players but for the entire roster with the coach.
- Team Vitality — $220,000 (per month)
- Team Falcons — $195,000
- FaZe Clan — $190,000
- G2 Esports — $180,000
- Team Liquid — $175,000
- Astralis — $165,000
- Heroic — $160,000
- Natus Vincere — $155,000
- FURIA Esports — $105,000
- Team Spirit — $100,000
- Virtus.pro — $100,000
- MOUZ — $95,000
- Complexity Gaming — $95,000
- ENCE — $92,000
- BIG — $75,000
- Eternal Fire — $50,000
- The Mongolz — $30,000
It is important to remember that this is not the only way for professional CS2 players to earn money. Media personalities can have external sources of income that exceed their main salary. Besides, for tier-2 teams, a significant portion of income consists of prize money. A successful appearance at a Major can also be profitable as stickers can offset any losses. And of course, streaming can be a good additional income if there is time and desire to do it.
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