Figures and Competitors
According to prize money statistics, ESL tournaments awarded players approximately $4.95 million in prize money at the tier-1 level in 2025. BLAST secured second place with a total of $3.6 million awarded to players, while PGL rounded out the top three with $3.13 million. StarLadder and FISSURE lagged significantly behind, with $1.75 million and $950,000, respectively.
The statistics only included major events for tier-1 CS2 : stages of the ESL Pro Tour, ESL Pro League, flagship events and BLAST majors, PGL's premium series, as well as StarLadder and FISSURE majors. This approach allows for a comparison of the pinnacle of the scene, where the world's strongest teams compete and key earnings for esports professionals are generated.
ESL's leadership in total prize money for players indicates where the tier-1 CS2 economy is heading: money is still primarily earned at major LAN events, not just through salaries and sponsors. For professionals, this is a signal that participating in the ESL ecosystem remains one of the main sources of income.
