People say that playing video games is a waste of time and will never get you rich. I'm here to tell you that's not true, because I have made money from my passion for gaming. And so can you! Here are some ideas for how to monetize your love for all things video games:
Stream on Twitch
Twitch is the most popular live streaming video platform for gamers. More than 2 million people use Twitch to stream every month and 15 million users watch gaming content on it every day. If you're looking to make a living as a gamer, you can use your Twitch channel as a way to generate revenue from ads, subscriptions, donations and sponsorships.
There are basically two ways you can make money using your Twitch channel:
Hosting sponsored streams that feature products provided by companies who want their games promoted in front of thousands of viewers
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| How to Make Money Playing Games |
Getting paid through donations or subscriptions from fans who love watching your streams
Join a professional esports team.
If you’re interested in making money playing games, there are a few ways to do it. The first is to join a professional esports team. You can make money playing any game that has an online competitive league or tournament, but if you want to be paid by sponsors and receive prize money for winning competitions and tournaments, the top esports titles are:
- League of Legends (LOL)
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO)
- Super Smash Bros Melee (Melee)
- Become a YouTube gaming star.
All you need to become a YouTube gaming star is:
- A good camera, preferably one that records in HD. If your laptop or smartphone can't handle it, then consider renting some studio space and investing in some higher-quality equipment.
- A passion for what you're doing (or at least the ability to fake it).
- A willingness to work hard and put in long hours if necessary.
That's all there is to it! As long as you know how to record gameplay footage and edit it down into something worthwhile—and have an eye for what people are going to want from their video game content—you'll be set.
Get sponsored by a brand.
Getting sponsored by a brand is the most common way to make money playing games. It’s also the easiest.
When you play a game, you can earn money if you have an audience of people following your progress. A sponsor will pay you in cash or other perks like free equipment, clothes and travel expenses for events, in exchange for having their logo displayed on your stream or tournament results.
Sponsorships are usually for specific games or events, so it's important that you choose the ones that fit into these categories if possible.
Become an indie game developer.
You can become an indie game developer. You can do this by yourself, or you can work with a team.If you're making games to sell on the app store, there are two ways to make money:
The game has in-app purchases (IAPs), where people pay for extra content within the app. This is often used in free-to-play games like Candy Crush Saga, but it can also be found in premium games such as Monument Valley 2 and Super Mario Run.
If your game is low cost or free, then you'll want to get players' attention by having IAPs that allow them to unlock useful features in the game (like giving them additional lives). Most people don't buy these kinds of upgrades unless they really enjoy playing your game and want access to more features ASAP!
Become a pro-gamer.
The next step up from simply playing games is to become a pro-gamer. Pro-gamers compete in tournaments, stream on Twitch and make videos for YouTube. The pay scale varies widely depending on the game and how popular you are as a player, but generally speaking, being paid to play video games isn't something that's out of reach for most of us.
Launch a gaming guide website or blog.
You can also make money by creating a gaming guide website or blog. You can monetize your site by selling ad space, or you can create a premium membership site where people pay to access your content. If you're interested in checking out how this works and want to learn more about blogging for money, take a look at Pat Flynn's Smart Passive Income Blogging Course.
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If you are more into video games than writing, selling your own gaming guides might be an option for you as well!
Develop your own games.
Developing games is a complex and time-consuming process that requires knowledge of programming, graphics, user experience design, and more. It’s also an extremely rewarding experience—but it can also be challenging.
If you’re willing to put in the time and effort required to develop a game from scratch, this is one of the most profitable ways to make money playing games.
Create an app that offers in-game purchases and make your fortune from advertising revenue, or sell it to a game design firm. (It's similar to how tech giants like Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Google make most of their money.)
If you're an expert in a particular field, there's a big chance that someone else is too. If you've been playing games for years and want to make some extra money, consider creating an app that offers in-game purchases and make your fortune from advertising revenue. You can also sell it to a game design firm if they're interested in buying it. It's similar to how tech giants like Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Google make most of their money - by selling apps through their respective app stores on mobile phones and tablets (and sometimes other devices).
There are many ways to get paid for your passion for gaming.
There are many ways to get paid for your passion for gaming. You can stream on Twitch, join a professional esports team, become a YouTube gaming star, get sponsored by a brand, or become an indie game developer. You could also become a pro-gamer, launch a gaming guide website or blog.
Whether you choose one of these or come up with your own path, we hope this article has given you an idea of what’s possible. We know it can be difficult to get started in some of the more technical fields (like programming and creating apps). But if you have a passion for gaming, we believe that there are many paths to making money playing games!


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