It’s not only the men who dominate the esports scene: these are the highest earning female esports players who are crushing it.
Women represent nearly half of gamers in the United States. However, Natalie Denk, co-founder of the “League of Girls,” presents multiple reasons why women are underrepresented in esports. One reason is the need for more women role models in the male-dominated esports space.
Without successful role models, women might think that a career in esports isn’t lucrative for them. This list showcases the highest earning female esports players, highlighting their long, competitive careers as professional gamers.
Julia “juliano” Kiran – $96,054
Swedish Julia “juliano” Kiran is a former professional CS:GO player and the leader of Team Secret. Juliano’s biggest payout was during the DreamHack Showdown Valencia 2019, where Beşiktaş Esports took home $50,000. Juliano remained dominant throughout her CS:GO career, before retiring in favor of Valorant in 2021.
Juliano did not lose her fighting spirit transitioning into Valorant, as she is one of three women, alongside mimi and Petra, to win a World Champion in two games. Under G2 Esports, their team took it all during the VCT 2022: Game Changers Championship. Juliano has won over $96,054 in lifetime career earnings, making her one of the highest earning female esports players.
Ksenia “vilga” Klyuenkova – $99,693
Representing Nigma Galaxy Female, Ksenia “vilga” Klyuenkova is a Russian Counter-Strike: Global Offensive professional player. Her team is crushing the competition, grabbing multiple consecutive victories with no sign of stopping. Vilga has been playing competitively since the original Counter-Strike, initially playing for LiBerty in 2008.
Since then, Vilga has been through 22 teams before arriving at NGF. She has reportedly won over $98,493 throughout her storied professional career.
Katherine “Mystik” Gunn – $122,550
Katt “Mystik” Gunn is a former esports professional for multiple games, an avid cosplayer, content creator/streamer, and an overall positive influence on the gaming industry. Mystik earned her spot on the list by placing highly in Dead or Alive 4 tournaments and recently winning decent pennies from Call of Duty: Warzone. However, Mystik’s biggest claim to fame is winning the second season of WCG Ultimate Gamer in 2010, totalling her earnings to around $122,550.
WCG Ultimate Gamer was a reality TV that tested professional gamers with over-the-top real-life challenges and gaming competitions. Mystik clutched the win away from CS:GO world champion “clowN” in an epic gauntlet of head-to-heads across multiple games. Other notable contestants include Fighting Game legend Justin Wong and popular Twitch streamer CDN the 3rd.
Li “Liooon” Xiaomeng – $241,510
Li Xiaomeng (李晓萌), more popularly known as Liooon, is a Chinese Hearthstone esports player currently playing for Victory Key. Despite not being as active as the other players on this list, she’s still the second highest earning female esports player for taking home $200,000 at the 2019 Hearthstone Grandmasters Global Finals.
She’s an inspiration for women everywhere who aspire to become top-tier esports athletes, as she’s open about the discrimination she had to face and offers words of encouragement. Unfortunately, Lioon had a short career spanning from 2018-2020 with only a few official tournaments.
Sasha “Scarlett” Hostyn – $445,831
Canadian Starcraft II superstar Sasha “Scarlett” Hostyn is the highest-earning female esports player, almost doubling the lifetime earnings of the previous player. Scarlett started from humble beginnings, winning the NESL Iron Lady twice. Eventually, Eclypsia recruited her for her incredible performance, kickstarting her journey as a sponsored esports player. Currently, Scarlett is still going strong, representing Shopify Rebellion’s banner.
Scarlett is known for her overwhelming Creep Spread while playing the Zerg race. Her signature technique helped her secure profitable wins, and she has reportedly made over $443, 857 from tournament winnings during her decade-long career.
