The Stylish Online Gamers That Have Become Wealthy Digital Personalities

The CelebriScape is changing. While red carpets of the industry’s hottest events might still be reserved for TV and movie stars, a smattering of digital natives – vloggers, bloggers, YouTube stars who post videos of themselves doing just about anything – are becoming just as famous (and making just as good a living) as some of the ‘traditional’ celebs.

The rise of online gaming has been a disruption of phenomenal proportions, with a far-reaching influence that goes well beyond demographics, it’s turned into a pop-culture juggernaut with mind-boggling reach. 

Here, you will learn about the biggest professional gamers, the games for which they compete, their winning strategies, and how their style on-screen has had a lot of real-world impacts.

The Rise of Online Gaming

Online games seemed to take off with a life of their own in recent years, mainly thanks to technological advancements. Firstly, the introduction of high-speed internet and a widespread availability of stable wi-fi networks enabled smooth and instantaneous online gaming sessions. Technology has also enabled games to be played on much smaller devices like phones and tablets, which has made accessibility to these online games much wider.

Some of the most popular games, like those you find in online casinos, have pushed the boundaries when it comes to gaming experiences. These games offer a sophisticated and authentic casino experience, making a game of poker or blackjack played over the internet pretty much the same as the live gaming experience. Judging by the capacity of these virtual card rooms and the various websites that offer unique takes on classic casino games, it is to say that there is a huge appetite of people who want to play online table games like poker, blackjack, and roulette.

The Most Popular (and Wealthiest) Online Gamers

As the online gaming community has grown over the years, so has its celebrity and polarisation. Stars like Mr Beast or SSSniperWolf are just as common phenomena as models or football players, and Youtubers, Twitch streamers, and eSports champions are celebrities with real clout. Here are some of our favourites with an influence that might rival Hollywood offerings. Chances are you’ve already heard of them.

Daniel Negreanu

Most memorably, perhaps, there’s Daniel Negreanu. He’s been on the tournament circuit for more than 20 years, which means he’s won so much money – more than $46 million in live tournaments – that he’d be on this list almost by default. The Canadian-born ‘Kid Poker’, whose appearance belies the fact that he went professional aged just 18, is not your typical online gamer.

But he played his A-game across online poker tables throughout his career, and his charismatic, affable personality and regular TV appearances over the years contributed to his considerable success with a healthy income playing casino games online.

Johan Sundstein (N0tail)

Perhaps the greatest player ever to play Dota 2, N0tail’s professional earnings to date exceed $7 million. Rarely has anyone amassed such a cabinet’s worth of Dota 2 trophies. Pixel mastery aside, away from the competition field N0tail is as dedicated to his off-time, frequently seen in interviews and events dressed down in clean lines with an occasional Scandinavian minimalism.

Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins

This Fortnite icon broke ground for online streaming. While Ninja’s exact earnings are up for debate (some estimates have it at $17 million, others as high as $50 million), his influence is undeniable. Ninja leveraged his charisma and skill in Fortnite into an enormous following, and a propensity for lucrative sponsorships and apparel deals. Ninja has had his own branded apparel line, as well as a collaboration line with a major sportswear brand, Adidas

Felix ‘xQc’ Lengyel

This variety streamer, who has made more than $5 million, gained notoriety for exposing a raw and human side of gameplay and has used a brash, uninhibited, and unfiltered personality to resonate with and entertain a large audience. 

xQc is also a huge fan of variety and doesn’t shy away from experimenting with different games. He currently streams a variety of popular games, including Overwatch and, recently, GTA V. xQc’s default choice of fashion is streetwear and can mostly be seen wearing hoodies and graphic t-shirts. The Canadian streamer has also worked on clothing collaborations and created a limited-edition line of hoodies and t-shirts that sold out in minutes, which has now turned into his own clothing brand.

The Future is Pixelated and Bright

In just a few decades, online gaming went from being a fringe activity to a truly global superstar, and film actors, athletes, singers and other movie stars are heading increasingly for a B-list. Professional gamers – and the people who stream great gaming performances online – have huge followings, lucrative sponsorship contracts, and the status of cultural leaders. And this is just the beginning – the future of online gaming and its stars look even more exciting as technology evolves.

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