5 Gamers Earn: They play video games for a living, but their salaries, sponsors, and fanbases look closer to Hollywood than hobby gaming.
Forget the old stereotypes about gamers. In 2026, top esports gamers earn money from salaries, prize pools, digital items, streaming, and brand deals. Counter-Strike 2 shows how large that world has become. It’s a five-on-five shooter where teams fight round by round, and its biggest stars can earn up to $480,000 a year in salary alone, plus six-figure income from digital autographs called stickers, sponsorships with brands like Ralph Lauren and Red Bull, and awards at ceremonies watched by millions. Esports tournaments handed out more than $270 million in prize money in 2025, while the Esports World Cup alone offered a record $70 million prize pool. The most fascinating part is watching five young players who show what Counter-Strike 2 has become within the esports industry.
ZywOo, Mathieu Herbaut, Age 25, France
Mathieu “ZywOo“ Herbaut is the Messi of Counter-Strike 2. He has been named the best player in the world four times, breaking the previous record. He also owns 32 MVP awards, more than anyone else in Counter-Strike history. MVP stands for the award given to the best player at a major event.
His team, Vitality, has won three Majors, Counter-Strike’s world championships. Vitality also won Best Esports Team at The Game Awards 2025, a gaming ceremony watched by more than 100 million viewers, as well as Esports Team of the Year at the Esports Awards. ZywOo gamers earns up to $480,000 a year in salary alone, plus six-figure sticker income from digital autographs that fans buy. He trains at the Stade de France residence and started playing at the age of seven, when his mother allowed him to play only one hour a day.
donk, Danil Kryshkovets, Age 19, Russia
Danil “donk“ Kryshkovets is the 19-year-old prodigy behind CS2’s teenage celebrity story. He became the second-best player in the world in 2025. His season rating was 1.42, comparable to a baseball player hitting .420 across a full season. His role is entry fragger, meaning he’s the first player sent into danger.
The number that sounds unbelievable is 40,000 hours. donk says he has spent that much time in Counter-Strike, which equals more than four and a half years of nonstop gameplay. He joined Team Spirit’s academy at 14. By 17, he was already among the best. By 19, his one-versus-five highlights against Vitality were gaining millions of views and spreading online like viral sports replays.
ropz, Robin Kool, Age 26, Estonia
Robin “ropz” Kool comes from Estonia, a country of about 1.3 million, and became one of the three best Counter-Strike players in the world in 2025. His role is called a lurker. In simple terms, he attacks from unexpected positions and wins rounds by appearing where the other team forgot to look.
Before Vitality, ropz played for MOUZ and FaZe Clan. His 2025 move to Vitality felt like Kylian Mbappé joining Real Madrid, making an already powerful team even harder to stop. Vitality, already the most dominant team of the CS2 era, won back-to-back world championships after his arrival. ropz is quiet and modest, without a TikTok celebrity persona, constant vlogs, or loud influencer routine. In matches, he plays like one of the smartest players Counter-Strike has ever produced.
s1mple, Oleksandr Kostyliev, Age 28, Ukraine
Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev is Counter-Strike’s most famous name. Before ZywOo broke the record, s1mple was the three-time world-best player. For years, he was the face of the game, the player fans compared to Ronaldo because even people outside esports could recognize the name.
His 2021 Stockholm Major final became the most-watched Counter-Strike match ever, with around 2.7 million peak viewers. A Major is the closest thing Counter-Strike has to a world championship. s1mple has appeared in Forbes-related coverage, on gaming media covers, and in YouTube clips with hundreds of millions of views. In 2024, he stepped away from regular competition. In 2026, his story is about trying to return to his former level.
NiKo, Nikola Kovač, Age 29, Bosnia
Nikola “NiKo” Kovač is one of the most consistently elite players in Counter-Strike history. He has spent about 15 years on the professional scene and remained near the top throughout his career. He has never finished a year as the world’s No. 1 player, but he has always been close. That is why fans often describe him as the most talented player who never had enough team success, similar to Zlatan Ibrahimović without a Champions League title.
NiKo is also connected to one of the biggest transfer stories in esports. His move away from G2 in 2025 reshaped several rosters and turned a team switch into headline material. The family angle makes it even more celebrity-like. His cousin, huNter-, captains G2, giving Counter-Strike its own esports dynasty.
The Future of Fame Is Already in Esports
These five players aren’t exceptions anymore. Counter-Strike 2 ran more than 700 tournaments in 2025, and top players now gamers earn through salaries, prize pools, stickers, sponsorships, streaming, and public awards. The average salary for a top player reached $138,000, while the top tier earned significantly more. The Esports World Cup 2025 offered a $70 million prize pool, larger than that of many traditional sports events. The next generation of celebrities won’t come only from Hollywood, the NFL, or the NBA. Some of them are already sitting behind a keyboard, wearing a headset, and playing in front of millions.
