Professional Counter-Strike 2 player Andrey `Jerry` Mekhryakov recently discussed the income levels of esports athletes compared to streamers and content creators. He shared his perspective during a live broadcast on his Twitch channel.
(When asked if he earned more from esports or streaming with ads) “More money from streams, of course. No, well, in esports, income from stickers is unmatched – those are huge amounts, of course – but it`s simply easier to earn from streams. In esports, you have to be realistic, you constantly need to compete. If you want to be the best, you always have to spend ten hours [a day] on it, tirelessly. And I just don`t really want to do that. I understand that I like it, but man, I`m a married man. If I spend twelve hours a day on CS now, you need to be at a certain level for it to pay off proportionally, which is very difficult, especially starting from scratch.”
Jerry began competing in CS tournaments in 2015. Throughout his career, he has participated in three Major championships and achieved podium finishes in several Tier A and Tier B competitions. According to estimates from Liquipedia, Mekhryakov has earned approximately $242,000 in prize money from tournaments. Currently, he is listed as inactive in competitive play and focuses on streaming, which includes covering various esports championships.