Highest-earning Dota 2 esports players

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When looking at the most successful and popular esports games over the years, it's hard to find anyone who does not name Dota 2 off the top of their head. Valve's legendary multiplayer online battle arena offering has captured the imaginations of millions of gamers for decades and remains among the most-watched titles on livestreaming platforms.

Thanks to a robust annual esports structure that admittedly depends a lot on the tier-1 scene compared to lower levels of competition, the title has produced many players who have become household names in their regions. Many of these professional gamers have also enjoyed incredible success at Dota 2 tournaments and have become millionaires.

To that effect, this article will rank the ten highest-earning Dota 2 players over the years while also bringing some light on their competitive journeys, milestone wins, and the events that helped them top this financial leaderboard.

  The Barclays Arena in Hamburg will play host to Dota 2's biggest event in 2025 (Image via eventinc)  

Readers must note that the earnings below are based solely on tournament prize winnings from Dota 2, and that some players' career revenue might include purses from more than one game. They do not include other significant income sources such as team salaries, sponsorships, or individual streaming revenue, which are not publicly disclosed. These players have earned their spots through sheer competitive results.

Reflecting the game's predominance in Europe, almost all of the top ten names here come from this continent. We also see many players who were part of the few teams to have won The International multiple times, including OG's legendary roster, which went back-to-back in 2018 and 2019, and members of Team Spirit's incredibly dominant side in the early 2020s.

Profiles of the top Dota 2 players by tournament winnings

#10 - KuroKy ($5,293,200)

Kuro "KuroKy" Salehi Takhasomi is a highly influential and legendary professional Dota 2 player from Germany. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most accomplished players in the history of the game, the player, who comes from an Iranian lineage, won the coveted Aegis of Champions with Team Liquid in 2017.

The 32-year-old's story en route to becoming a true Dota icon 2 is what has captured the imagination of so many fans of the game. KuroKy, who grew up in Berlin, reportedly suffered from disabilities in his legs, which led him to play video games, igniting his passion for DotA: Allstars and later Dota 2. Despite these physical setbacks, he achieved much success in the game's esports sphere and is rightly lauded as one of its greats.

Most of KuroKy's earnings have come from his performances at The International, including two more podiums and a fourth-place finish in the 2010s. The co-founder and current captain of Nigma Galaxy also clinched multiple other Tier-1 competitions from organizers like StarLadder, ESL, and Epic Esports Events.

The position 5 support player's longevity also means he has a few records under his belt that only add to his stellar legacy. Just to name a couple, he was the first player in competitive Dota 2 history to reach 1,000 professional wins and had played every single available hero in competitive games as of September 2022, showcasing his immense versatility and deep understanding of the game.

#9 - Mira ($5,638,899)

  Mira is one of the many two-time TI winners on this list (Image via Sebastian Pandelache/PGL)   

The first of two Ukrainians on this list, Miroslaw "Mira" Kolpakov is one of the four players to have formed the foundation upon which Team Spirit won its two TI titles. Unsurprisingly, most of his career earnings have come from these two mega events, although his success at the Riyadh Masters 2023 added a hefty amount to this total as well.

The 25-year-old, who has been representing Aurora Gaming since February this year, has won over 15 tournaments in his illustrious career so far. The position 4 support has also finished as the runner-up almost the same number of times over almost 60 Dota 2 competitions so far, giving him a pretty good top-two success rate.

Interestingly, Mira was joined by his ex-teammate Alexander "TORONTOTOKYO" Khertek, who again switched his role to an offlaner, in the Aurora roster shuffle earlier in 2025. The two won the TI 10 together and will hope that their coming together will help their new team see more such successes.

#8 - Topson ($5,898,810)

Topias "Topson" Taavitsainen is one of the most recognizable faces not only in the competitive Dota 2 circle but all of esports. The Finn has earned almost $6 million in career earnings, with nearly 92% of this amount coming from two dominant years in 2018 and 2019.

These two years were when OG dominated the global landscape, winning a Tier-1 event almost every year and going back-to-back at the TI as champion. These latter two wins ensured that Topson became a millionaire even before he had turned 22, sealing his legacy as one of the game's all-timers by notching the highest average kills per game (9.43) at The International 2019.

Having achieved much success so early, the 27-year-old retired from the professional scene in 2024, last turning out for Tundra Esports as it ended third at The International 2024, the British side's second podium finish at the event. This was followed by Topson leaving for his Finnish military service in January 2025, so it remains to be seen if the legend returns to the game in any capacity.

#7 - Collapse ($5,928,111)

Magomed "Collapse" Khalilov is one of the two Russians to populate this top ten leaderboard, having accumulated over $5.9 million in career earnings. He is the third of the four main roster members who helped Russian esports organization Team Spirit push the limits of what was thought possible in Dota 2 esports.

The 23-year-old has earned over four million in his career revenue from two event series: The International and Gamers8 (which hosted the lucrative Riyadh Masters competitions that have now become the annual Esports World Cup multi-game series). His aggressive play style and impactful performances were a key component in Team Spirit's recent successes.

Collapse's signature heroes, especially Magnus, came into special focus during Team Spirit's first TI win in 2021. Coming into the event as a relative unknown, he showed his true potential as one of the best offlaners in the world, garnering lots of praise for his performances and stamping his authority on the game.

Despite being one of the younger names here, Collapse has quite a few milestones to his name, including being the all-time leader in professional matches played and won as Primal Beast (42 matches and 30 wins), one of the more recent hero introductions in Dota 2. The position 2 offlaner has already played over 500 matches in his still fledgling career, earning the respect of not only fellow players in the professional scene but also fans and viewers.

#6 - Yatoro ($5,932,736)

  Yatoro climbed up a spot here after his EWC 2025 win (Image via EWC) 

Illya "Yatoro" Mulyarchuk is the other Ukrainian pro who represented Team Spirit's double-world champion roster in the early 2020s. Still with the squad, the carry/safe laner has won numerous trophies during an illustrious career that continues to produce results.

The 22-year-old was crucial in the above TI wins, with the story of Mira shaving Yatoro's head on Day 4 of the 2021 iteration, which they joked was "a sacrifice to the god of Dota," being the stuff of legend. While they had to achieve an underdog win the first time, Team Spirit put up one of the most dominant performances by any team in history to clinch the TI 2023, losing just two games throughout.

Popularly known as Raddan, his other in-game alias, Yatoro's honors board also includes triumphs at the PGL Arlington Major 2022, the Riyadh Masters 2023, DreamLeague Season 21, PGL Wallachia Season 1, and the DreamLeague Season 25. This makes the record holder for most rampages in The International main stage (five) one of the most decorated players not only on this list but in the legendary MOBA's history.

#5 - Ceb ($5,949,443)

Sébastien "Ceb" Debs is another name from the iconic OG double TI-winning roster who has called it a day from competitive Dota 2. The Lebanese-French professional founded the European esports organization alongside another legendary player, Johan "N0tail" Sundstein, in 2015.

Their journey would put the two and their new side in the throes of superstardom. It would also make Ceb the first and so far only French player to win The International.

What makes Ceb's career and legacy so special is that not only was he a great player and offlaner, but also an equally successful coach. Before joining the OG playing roster and skyrocketing to fame, the 33-year-old coached the side to multiple Dota 2 Tier-1 trophies, including Major wins in Boston, Manila (both 2016), and Kyiv (2017).

A one-organization man through and through, Ceb has also devoted his time to developing upcoming players in the Dota 2 scene. His reputation has been such that even as a coach and player early on in his career, he was called up for various broadcasting gigs by organizers, including as an analyst at the ESL One and Riyadh Masters events.

#4 - ana ($6,024,412)

Perhaps one of the more unsung heroes of OG's exploits in the late noughties, Anathan "ana" Pham is nevertheless a highly decorated name in the Dota 2 competitive scene. He played in three iterations of The International, winning in 2018 and 2019, and has also won two Major championships: Boston (2016) and Kyiv (2017). He also remains the only Australian to win the TI trophy.

These high-profile victories (from a total of 26 tournaments) helped the Aussie accrue just over six million dollars in prize money. That perhaps factored into his decision to retire from competitive play in 2021, having "burnt out and lost motivation" for the game, with his last team being the South Korean powerhouse T1.

Nevertheless, the 25-year-old will forever be known among Dota 2 fans for his exceptional skill and strategic prowess as a carry. His calm demeanor under pressure and ability to consistently deliver clutch performances in crucial moments were a key reason for OG's extended time at the top.

#3 - Miposhka ($6,227,771)

 Mipoksha is one of the richest Russian Dota 2 players (Image via EWC)  

The last member from Team Spirit's highly successful side from earlier this decade, Yaroslav "Miposhka" Naidenov is also its most winningest name by tournament revenue. He has earned just over six million dollars so far, with TI revenue supplemented by wins at other top-tier tournaments like the PGL Arlington Major 2022, the Riyadh Masters 2023, DreamLeague Season 21, PGL Wallachia Season 1, and the DreamLeague Season 25.

The Russian, who captains Team Spirit's relatively young roster and plays as the hard support, has over 1100 professional matches in his kitty. He has consistently demonstrated exceptional skill and strategic thinking during these games to contribute significantly to his team's success and earn himself a prominent reputation in the competitive Dota 2 scene.

Not many fans may know this, but Miposhka had also participated in The International 2017, representing the Russian esports organization Team Empire. Unfortunately, the 27-year-old had the highest average deaths per game (8.38) as his team was knocked out by eventual winner Team Liquid in the Lower Bracket Round 3 of the Main Event.

#2 - JerAx ($6,486,624)

Another two-time consecutive winner of The International with OG, Jesse "JerAx" Vainikka is a renowned professional Dota 2 player. Like the other two-time winners of Dota 2's most prestigious title, the Finn has made a large chunk of his earnings from these two triumphs. He's also the first player to make four consecutive Major finals, two with Team Liquid and two with OG.

The 33-year-old is widely celebrated for his incredible skill as a support player and his talent for playing "roaming support" heroes like Earth Spirit, which quickly gained recognition. Known for his aggressive, high-impact plays and exceptional game sense, he has also coached top organizations like Team Liquid after retiring in early 2020.

In a powerful nod to his successful career, JerAx joined Achieveminds Coaching, a global platform dedicated to empowering esports players and coaches, as a mental coach in March 2025. He also took to the coaching side of the game by taking over the reins at Serbian esports org PARIVISION at the BLAST Slam III, where it finished in the 7th-8th bracket.

#1 - N0tail ($7,184,163)

  The highest-earning esports player ever, N0tail (Image via PGL)   

In the top spot is Johan "N0tail" Sundstein, the star and captain of the back-to-back TI-winning OG side. He continues to lead the side behind the scenes and as a coach occasionally, having last competed in Dota 2 in 2021, as OG looks to get back to its halcyon days.

The Danish/Faeroese superstar is not only the player to have earned the most money in Dota 2 but all of esports. He is also the only one to have surpassed $7 million in career earnings, with almost $5.5 million coming in the two years when OG dominated the game.

We also have to mention that N0tail is the co-founder of OG and is the most decorated professional Dota 2 player, having won four Majors and two Internationals. Simply put, the first and only Dane to win the TI shaped the game's competitive scene like no other. Even when he takes a break from esports action, he continues to remain the glue that holds things together for his beloved OG.

Top 10 highest-earning Dota 2 players

* rankings as of September 25, 2025; source of prizes from esportsearnings.com