The influencer “All About Esports” shared salary estimates across different disciplines, and the main takeaway here is simple: at the top level, CS2, Dota 2, and VALORANT remain very expensive markets, but their payment structures differ noticeably. In CS2, everything is increasingly tied to a team’s ranking position; in VALORANT, region and taxes play an important role; and in Dota 2, the gap between tier-1 and lower levels remains one of the biggest.
CS2: salary depends on the team’s position
In CS2, according to the estimates given, the main benchmark now is the VRS ranking. If contracts previously more often used positions in media rankings as a reference, now the logic has become more practical: the higher a team stands in a system that affects invitations and the tournament calendar, the higher the base salary for players can be.
The lowest base is estimated at around $2,000 per month. Teams in the
- top 30–50 range may pay $3,000–4,000,
- top 20–30 teams — $5,000–6,000,
- top 6–20 teams — $8,000–12,000.
For top-5-level rosters, the bar starts at around $15,000 and can go much higher, especially when it comes to superstars or players with strong media and commercial status.
Dota 2 keeps a high upper ceiling
In Dota 2, the upper limit remains one of the highest among disciplines. According to the influencer’s estimate, tier-1 players can earn from $10,000 to $25,000 per month. In this context, tier-1 means not just a well-known organization, but a team that consistently reaches the playoffs of major tournaments and regularly plays against the strongest opponents.
At the tier-2 level, salaries are already significantly lower — around $4,000–8,000. Tier-3 is estimated at $500–2,500, which shows the sharp gap between teams that truly fight for major trophies and rosters that remain in the zone of qualifiers, mid-level leagues, and unstable tournament performances.
VALORANT: region strongly affects payments
In VALORANT, the salary structure looks more regional. According to the estimates given, players in Challenger leagues can earn around $500–2,000, while in franchised leagues the sums are much higher. VCT Americas is estimated at $10,000–12,000, VCT EMEA at $8,000–10,000, and VCT China at $6,000–8,000.
An interesting detail is that in VALORANT, salary can depend not only on the strength of the team or the player’s status, but also on the region of residence and the tax burden. In other words, the same “net” value of a player for an organization may look different in a contract depending on where exactly they compete and what expenses the club takes on.
MLBB in the CIS looks much more modest
Compared to CS2, Dota 2, and VALORANT, salaries in MLBB in the CIS look significantly lower. The average level, according to the influencer’s estimate, is around $500–900 per month. This shows that even a popular mobile discipline does not always guarantee players big contracts if the market of a specific region does not yet have enough major clubs and sponsorship money.
At the same time, there are exceptions. According to the data given, Yandex Team may pay around $1,500, while Spirit pays around $2,500. But the word “exceptions” is key here: in most cases, MLBB in the region does not yet compete with salaries in top PC disciplines, where even the average level can be higher than the upper limit of the mobile scene.
Superstars live in a separate economy
The topic of the highest-paid CS players stands separately. According to rumors, NiKo may earn around $100,000 per month, while ZywOo may earn around €100,000. These figures should be treated specifically as unofficial estimates, but even in this form, they clearly show how strongly superstar salaries break away from the average market.
This is no longer just payment for individual rating or number of frags. For clubs, such players mean sporting results, media presence, merch sales, sponsor appeal, and the organization’s status. That is why top names can cost several times more even than very strong players from teams in lower ranking ranges.
The market is becoming more pragmatic
The main conclusion from these estimates is that esports has long stopped working like a chaotic market of big names and has become a system where salary is tied to specific value for the club. In CS2, this means ranking and access to tournaments; in Dota 2, stability at major events; in VALORANT, the franchise structure and region; and in MLBB, the local economy of the scene.
That is why a salary figure by itself explains almost nothing without context. $6,000 in top-30 CS2, $8,000 in tier-2 Dota 2, and $10,000 in VCT can mean completely different levels of risk, stability, and future opportunities. But the overall trend is clear: the closer a team is to major tournaments, invites, and commercial value, the more expensive every player on the roster becomes.
