Christopher “dexter” Nong shared a rare look at the financial reality of a Counter-Strike career in a video posted on his Instagram. The Australian in-game leader compared two very different periods of his journey, from his early years in Oceania to a season spent competing in Europe.
From Grayhound to Europe
dexter began his professional Counter-Strike career in 2015. Over the years, he played for Chiefs Esports Club, Winterfox, Tainted Minds, Grayhound, Renegades, MOUZ, Fnatic and FlyQuest.
In 2018, dexter represented Grayhound. The Australian side reached the final of CS:GO Asia Summit and ESL Pro League Season 8: Oceania that year.
However, the team’s competitive progress did not yet bring the income he hoped for.
These years were probably the funnest years I’ve had in CS, because it wasn’t too serious at the time. But yeah, the money was not good at all.
I was watching all my friends and family and everyone make way more than I ever did, and I was like, oh, is this the right career choice?
dexter said his annual Grayhound salary in 2018 was about $36,000 AUD (~25,441 USD). He also earned around $15,000 AUD (~10,600 USD) from prize pools, while his monthly salary was roughly $3,000 AUD (~2,120 USD).
Paris Major changes the picture
The player moved to MOUZ in early 2021 and became the team’s in-game leader. His arrival marked a move from the Australian scene to a leading European organization.
MOUZ qualified for the BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023 by defeating FaZe at the European RMR. However, GamerLegion eliminated dexter’s team 2-0 in the Challengers Stage of the Major.
Despite the early exit in Paris, 2023 became dexter’s highest-earning year. He said he received about $640,000 AUD, equivalent to approximately $452,000 USD, before tax. Salary, prize money and sticker revenue made up that amount.
And then the best years in 2023, that year we were able to make roughly $640,000 Australian before tax, so that year was definitely great.
A lot of that money came from sticker money, which is something I will go into for my next videos.
dexter’s current team
dexter currently represents THUNDER dOWNUNDER. He joined the Australian lineup on October 14, 2025, after previous spells with Grayhound, Fnatic and FlyQuest.
The difference between 2018 and 2023 reflects dexter’s path from a developing Australian roster to Major competition in Europe. He also reminded viewers that the stated income was gross, not the final amount he kept.
Do note, every example here is gross, so this is before all tax and everything like that. And during my time in Germany, I was being taxed at a 45% rate.
I think there’s always a chance of a career in it, but it’s all about how much you dedicate into the game, into your time, and your work ethic.
