The Online Gamers Around the World

There used to be a time when playing videogames was seen as a hobby of the disaffected youth or a pastime of the lazy.

In 2023 however that assertion couldn’t be further from the truth. Not only has gaming exploded in a way that no-one could have ever imagined across age and gender demographics, but it has also spawned a sub-industry of its own – esports.

Each year hundreds of millions of gaming fans tune in to watch their favourite esports players compete for the ultimate bragging rights in global tournaments with multi-million dollar prize pots.

Yet outside of the gaming world, relatively few of these incredibly skilled players have garnered the publicity that they deserve.

In this article we look to set that right by taking a look at 5 of the most talented and successful esports players on the planet, read on to find out who they are.

5. Viktor Blom

Poker was an early outlier when it comes to online gaming with a number of internet savvy developers deciding to take the game online in the early 1990s.

Since then the game has been ahead of its time and long before we were discussing esports, players from all around the world were competing in high stakes online poker games.

One such player is the legendary Viktor Blom, known online by his username “Isildur1”.
In the 2000s the Swedish cards star was a regular feature in the finals of all the major online poker tournaments, regularly coming out on top to scoop top prize.

Over the course of the past decade Blom has stepped back from the game somewhat but he still remains a living legend in poker and boasts a more than healthy winnings total of $3 million plus.

4. Umut Gultekin

When it comes to sports games, FIFA, or as it is now known “EA Sports FC” has sold more than double the copies of its nearest rival Madden NFL.

It’s no wonder then that the game has a thriving esports landscape with players from all around the world competing with one another for ultimate dominance.

Players not only have the chance to play for their favourite clubs in league tournaments but they have the chance to fight for domestic football’s top trophies like the Copa Libertadores and the Champions League.

But what beats that? The World Cup, and is it any wonder that the current holder of that prize is a German who also just happened to win the final on penalties!

Umut Gultekin has only just turned 21 too and has a long career ahead of him, which should be good news for his bank manager as his career earnings to date already stand at a whopping $650,000.

Watch as Umut wins the world title in true German fashion.

Call of Duty is arguably the most influential first-person shooter of all-time and has not only gone on to spawn a hugely successful esports division but also to sustain a thriving community of YouTubers and other content creators.

Top of the pile in the esports rankings though is Tyler Pharris, otherwise known as “aBeZy”.
Earlier this year he became the highest paid Call of Duty competitor of all-time and is the current holder of two World Championship rings.

Whilst there might be a debate to be had about the second and best Call of Duty players, there’s no arguing with aBeZy’s place Number One status.

2. Lee Sanghyeok

League of Legends is a global phenomenon when it comes to esports and the biggest and most revered name in that game is Lee Sanghyeok, known mainly by his gamertag “Faker”.
Faker has taken his mastery of the game so seriously that he boasts an unrivalled level of knowledge on almost every character and mechanic of the game.

Treating the game often like a long-form version of chess, Faker routinely has his opponents floundering and has rightly earned the nickname “The Unkillable Demon King.”

Sit back and watch a genius at work.

1. Johan Sundstein

Money shouldn’t always be used as a barometer of success but in esports it gives a pretty good indication to who’s who.

30-year-old Johan “N0tail” Sundstein is the highest earning esports player of all-time having battled to the top of the pile in both Heroes of Newerth and Dota 2.

The team he founded won the International in both 2018 and 2019 which along with his other successes have helped to bring his total career earnings to $7.1 million.