With each passing year, the Valorant community continues to grow, becoming more popular, and this applies to professional players on the big stage as well. This time, we will discuss the top 10 highest-paid Valorant players in the world throughout the history of the discipline.
The 2023 season concluded with the World Championship, which shifted the balance of power on the global stage. However, despite this, the offseason is filled with numerous tournaments, where victory rewards players with greater prestige and even larger prize pools.
10th place - Erick "aspas" Santos $188,247
Opening our list of the highest-paid Valorant players is Erick "aspas" Santos. Despite his young age, the player has achieved significant results, with the majority of his achievements coming in recent competitive years. His first-place finish at the 2022 World Championship earned him a whopping $300,000. Unfortunately, in 2023, aspas and his team LOUD couldn't replicate the previous year's success, settling for third place with a prize fund of $250,000. Currently, aspas is considered the best duelist on the professional scene.
9th place - Wang "Jinggg" Jing Jie $190,521
Another young talent in our top list is Wang "Jinggg" Jing Jie, currently a member of Paper Rex. Unlike other nominees, the Singaporean has never worn the title of world champion, but still ranks among the top-earning players globally. A winner of VCT 2022: APAC Stage, a semifinalist in VCT 2023: Masters Tokyo, and finally a finalist in VALORANT Champions 2023 Los Angeles. These tournaments have brought Wang the highest amount of prize money in his extensive career. Currently, Jinggg is on the bench due to military service but has expressed his intention to continue competing, as stated on his social media pages.
8th place - Khalish "d4v41" Rusyaidee $197,334
Malaysian player Khalish "d4v41" Rusyaidee rightfully holds his position. Notably, d4v41 has not changed teams once during his relatively short time (just under two years) in the Valorant esports arena. He is the core of the Paper Rex team, nurturing one of the world's best players, and the team is still not ready to part ways with him. His most significant achievement in his career was reaching the final of the 2023 World Championship, where the Paper Rex team fell just short of the title of champion.
7th place - Jason "f0rsakeN" Susanto $197,401
Indonesian player Jason "f0rsakeN" Susanto started his esports career back in 2017 in CS:GO. Not finding success in the CS arena, he decided to switch to Valorant. In just one year, alongside his teammate d4v41 in the Paper Rex team, f0rsakeN transformed and entered the top tier of the discipline. Similar to the 8th spot on our list of the highest-paid players globally, f0rsakeN has never changed clubs, emphasizing his importance. As you can observe, there's only a $67 difference between these teammates.
6th place - Nikita "Derke" Sirmitev $209,076
Another player who didn't gain much fame on the global CS:GO stage is Nikita "Derke" Sirmitev. After transitioning to Valorant, he was welcomed by CrowCrowd, with whom he began conquering the VCT scene and rapidly making his way to the top. fnatic quickly noticed his fast-paced growth and recruited him in 2021, a move that proved to be successful. A multiple participant in world championships, and winner of Master Tokyo 2023 and VCT 2023: LOCK//IN São Paulo, Derke is worth all the organization's efforts.
5th place - Jake "Boaster" Howlett $212,650
Another representative of the beloved fnatic, Jake "Boaster" Howlett, secures the fifth position. The tournament that brought him fame was VCT 2021: Stage 2 Masters - Reykjavík, where the team finished second, earning a substantial prize of $100,000. Towards the end of 2021, the Fnatic roster underwent a significant transformation. The defeat at the 2021 World Championship had a profound impact on both the team and Boaster himself. This setback served as a turning point for the team's success, and despite the absence of a championship title among his achievements, Jake is in the top tier of the highest-paid Valorant players globally.
4th place - Max "Demon1" Mazanov $248,067
No list would be complete without the winner of the "Esports Awards 2023 Best Esports Player of the Year" award. After a year in the professional Valorant scene, Demon1 achieved unimaginable success and is currently the reigning world champion. This title propelled him from obscurity to the fourth position among the highest-paid players globally. During the World Championship, Max made headlines for his unorthodox behaviour, and after the victory, boldly proclaimed himself the best player in the world, a claim backed up by his results.
At the moment, Demon1's status is uncertain due to various rumours surrounding the Evil Geniuses organization, including alleged non-payment of winnings to its athletes. You can find more details on this matter in our material.
3rd place - Corbin "C0M" Lee $256,825
An American who began his career in 2020, Corbin "C0M" Lee initially gained attention from teams like Complexity Gaming, EZ5, and Akrew. However, he couldn't fully showcase his potential in these early teams. Although performances in C-B-tier arenas didn't bring him significant earnings, they revealed the potential that the future champion held. After two years of performances, Evil Geniuses noticed Corbin, assembling one of the most talented rosters of our time. Following their victories in 2023, C0M entered the top three highest-paid Valorant players.
2nd place - Alexander "jawgemo" Mor $260,897
Securing the second spot in our ranking is Alexander "jawgemo" Mor, another representative of the Evil Geniuses team. Despite internal organizational issues, the team achieved significant results, including winning the world championship. Alexander's career started in lesser-known teams Sedated and Decisive, after which he joined the T1 academy. Just two months later, EG recruited him, once again highlighting the foresight of the club's coaches and analysts.
1st place - Ethan "Ethan" Arnold $288,224
Ethan "Ethan" Arnold, the current world champion, is in first place. The young American began his career in 2021, swiftly rising to the top of the discipline with 100 Thieves, where he caught the eye of many. Most of Ethan's achievements came in 2023, during which the Evil Geniuses team earned a total of $1,250,000. Ethan's individual earnings amount to $288,224, solidifying his position as the highest-paid player in the world of Valorant.
This list may change soon, welcoming new talents, as we approach the VCT 2024 season. Valorant is a young discipline, evolving with each passing year, with changes in the game itself, tournament formats, and rapidly growing prize pools. Stay tuned for events on the Valorant esports scene with us at bo3.gg.
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