How to Make Money Playing Video Games: 5 Ways in 2024

Gaming has become one of the most popular sources of entertainment worldwide, and as a result, people are spending more time playing video games.

With the industry constantly growing, new career opportunities and initiatives are becoming available for those who want to make money playing video games.

From making the games themselves to creating content online, there are plenty of options available for those who want to win in more ways than one.

Techopedia presents the top ten best ways to make money playing video games in 2024.

Key Takeaways

The gaming industry has over 200 types of jobs.
You can make money by making games, testing out games, writing about games, or playing professionally.
Proven methods for earning money include trading game items, offering a service such as being a gaming coach, and creating online content.
Money earned playing video games varies drastically depending on the games you play and shifts in gaming culture.
Make money by building a personal brand, which is attained by staying consistent and creating unique content.

Table of Contents Table of Contents

Key Takeaways
5 Proven Ways to Earn Money Playing Games
Top 5 Ways to Make Money Playing Video Games
How Much Can You Earn by Playing Games?
Top Tips: How to Make Money with Gaming
Challenges Making Money Playing Video Games
The Bottom Line

Table of Contents

Key Takeaways
5 Proven Ways to Earn Money Playing Games
Top 5 Ways to Make Money Playing Video Games

Show Full Guide

How Much Can You Earn by Playing Games?
Top Tips: How to Make Money with Gaming
Challenges Making Money Playing Video Games
The Bottom Line

5 Proven Ways to Earn Money Playing Games

Here is a list detailing how to make money from playing video games.

Develop Games: Design games using programs such as Unreal Engine to sell online. Learn how to get started with Electronic Arts AI.

Playtest Games: Sign up to test games in development and give critical feedback on bugs and design flaws. Learn more about play testing and its definition.

Create Content: Stream and upload gaming-related content on platforms such as YouTube and earn money through ad revenue, subscriptions, and sponsors. Learn more about how AI is changing content creation on YouTube.

Play Professionally: Compete in esports and earn money by winning tournaments, team salaries, and brand deals. Learn about Esports and its definition.

Write About Games: Earn money by pitching stories as a freelancer, or write stories for video games as a narrative writer. Learn more about the journey of a narrative writer.

There are many ways to make money by playing games. We’ve also covered gaming as a job, which covers more granular ways of carving out a career in the gaming industry.

Top 5 Ways to Make Money Playing Video Games

5. Game Developer/Programmer

Game development is one of the most lucrative ways to make money gaming

Game development is a good career to consider when considering how to make money playing video games. It offers a plethora of opportunities for enthusiasts looking to become a part of the industry.

You can join a team within a game development studio, or go solo and become an independent (indie) developer. There are over 200 jobs available in the game industry if programming is not your interest.

It’s far from a simple career, as developing games requires a diverse set of skills due to the complex nature of games. Programming games, designing worlds and characters, drafting stories and ideas, there is a heavy workload for those looking to create a quality product.

The primary means of making money is either by independently selling the game on platforms such as Steam, or to sign a deal with a publisher who can fund your project and handle marketing and distribution of the game.

4. Influencer/Streamer

Influencers are some of the richest people in gaming

Gaming is one of the most popular topics on social media, with some of the most popular online creators focusing or starting from playing video games.

Streaming regularly on Twitch playing well-known games is a proven way of building a following. Posting on YouTube, or on social media apps such as TikTok, is one of the most popular methods on how to make money playing video games without streaming.

Developing a following online is no small feat, as it will require posting on a consistent basis in a highly competitive market full of like-minded individuals trying to attract the most attention.

Increasing monetisation earnings on the media platforms, receiving offers for sponsorship deals to promote to your audience, and encouraging more members to pledge a monthly or annual subscription to your content.

This method has the highest yield when it comes to potential earnings, but it is also the most competitive and the most unstable source of income.

3. Professional Player

Professional Esports teams can make hundreds of thousands of dollars

Players who play certain games at a high level, particularly multiplayer competitive games, can potentially put their skills to use and earn large sums of money.

Players who regularly win local tournaments, or showcase their skills through content creation, can apply to be a part of a team or compete solo in high-end tournaments with cash prizes.

Though most professional players prefer to play on PC, genres such as fighting games are preferred on a controller and can be a great choice for how to make money playing games on Xbox and PlayStation.

The dangers come from equating earnings to performance. Most teams and players rely on brand deals, sponsorships, and merchandise as a form of income because solely relying on prize money from tournaments is inconsistent and holds too many risks.

2. Gaming Service

There are professional builders in games such as Minecraft for dedicated servers

Offering a gaming service doesn’t require a fancy office or high-tech set up, and is a popular choice for those wondering how to make money playing games at home.

Players who are skilled at certain games have been known to use platforms such as Fiverr to offer coaching classes and teach others how to improve their gameplay. They also offer services such as helping in online matches, or aiding others in completing certain in game quests.

Here are a few examples of services people provide online:

Taking building requests in Minecraft or Roblox.
Offering one on one lessons on mastering the latest heroes in Overwatch.
Teaching people Raid mechanics in Destiny 2: The Final Shape.
Boosting other accounts for first person shooters.

This kind of work is heavily reminiscent of being an influencer, since it requires a lot of self promotion and reliance on word of mouth from the people that seek out your service.

1. Item/Account Trader

Some online games like World of Warcraft have an in-game trading economy

Players who have spent a lot of time or money on certain games have wondered how to make money playing video games.

One answer is to sell the account, particularly if it has high demand items.

Some games, such as Counter Strike or Team Fortress 2, possess rare and highly sought after cosmetic items that have varying market values.
Players will seek out high level/rank accounts in their favorite online competitive games, such as Fortnite or Apex Legends.
In-game trading is common in games such as World of Warcraft: The War Within when players are pursuing low drop rate items or exclusive cosmetics.

Though this is in no way a sustainable source of income, many people have adopted this as a side project whilst playing their favorite video games.

Players should thoroughly review if any form of trading isn’t in violation of a game’s terms and conditions.

How Much Can You Earn by Playing Games?

When questioning how to make money from playing games, you should consider how much you could potentially earn to decide whether it’s worth pursuing.

Here is a list of potential earnings playing video games:

Streaming:

Beginner streamers can make $100–$500 per month from small donations and subscriptions.
Streamers with a sizable audience (500+ viewers) might earn between $1,000–$5,000 per month.
Top streamers (1000+ viewers) can earn $10,000+ per month through subscriptions, donations, ad revenue, sponsorships, and affiliate marketing.

Streaming does not have a fixed earnings because there are too many varying factors that can influence income, such as number of viewers and types of sponsorships.

Esports:

Amateur players in local or online tournaments may win between $500–$2,000 in small prizes.
Professional esports players can earn anywhere from $50,000–$250,000+ per year from team salaries, prize money, and sponsorships.
Top esports athletes have won millions from tournament prize pools. For example, The International (a Dota 2 tournament) has awarded individual players millions of dollars.

Esports has high earning potential but is extremely risky because it requires consistently winning tournaments. Most revenue is earned through brand deals, team salaries, and merchandise.

Game Testing:

Entry-level game testers typically earn between $25,000–$40,000 per year.
Experienced or lead testers can make up to $50,000–$70,000 per year.

Most testing is issued through contracted work, and so work and pay will vary between each opportunity. Most tests will also make you sign an NDA contract, which can void your payment if broken during testing.

Playing Mobile Apps:

Mobile gaming apps like Mistplay or Skillz offer cash prizes that pay out on average $5–$50 per week for casual players.
Highly skilled players in competitive mobile gaming can potentially earn $500–$2,000+ per month.

Playing certain apps with cash prizes is the standard method for how to make money playing games on your phone. You should always be cautious when playing these games, as some games can actually be online scams in disguise.

Selling Accounts:

Selling in-game items or skins (e.g CS or Team fortress 2) can bring in $100–$5,000+ per month, depending on the rarity and demand of items.
High-level gaming accounts (e.g., World of Warcraft or League of Legends) can be sold for $100–$2,000+ depending on their rarity and achievements.

Selling prices will always vary based on market demand, the type of games, and item rarity.

All earnings stated are rough estimates based on averages and can vary for each person.

Top Tips: How to Make Money with Gaming

There is no singular guaranteed method that tells you how to make money playing games from home, however, there are a few things you can do to give yourself the best chance possible.

Build a personal brand by showcasing your personality and stand out from others.
Decide which platform or game is for you as some are more lucrative than others.
Post consistently or on a regular basis, whether it’s promotion or content.
Combine several monetisation streams such as creating guides or selling items.
Branch out and network on Social Media to increase publicity.

Challenges Making Money Playing Video Games

The scene for making money playing games is highly competitive and over-saturated with creators, streamers, and esports players all vying for online attention. Standing out from the crowd is no small feat, and requires consistency, creativity, and often luck to succeed.

The income from playing video games is inconsistent as earnings fluctuate month-to-month. This can be extremely risky depending on how often you receive money, especially if you are competing in tournaments and do not place high enough to win a cash prize. Influencers will also see inconsistency depending on the number of donations and subscribers they receive.

One of the biggest factors to success in gaming is the online demand, which shifts as new games become available. If you specialize in a particular game through creating content, selling items, or playing professionally, earnings will drop over time as online interest wanes and in some cases completely disappears. If you’re wondering how to make money playing games on Xbox, PlayStation, or Mobile, research on whether the games you are considering have any longevity.

Earning money playing video games also requires a high time commitment, and will vary in success and monetary value depending on how flexible players schedules are. A full time commitment is extremely risky, and will take a while and some luck before any benefits are realized.

The Bottom Line

How to make money playing games from home depends entirely on the games you play, and how you are leveraging that game to provide something unique or of value to your audience.

Whether you’re making games, being the best player, or creating interesting gaming content, There are a variety of options, but almost none of them are going to be easily attained. Hard work, consistency, and some luck are essential to ensure you are winning with games in more ways than one.