The video game industry is one of the world’s fastest-growing, most exciting, and rapidly evolving industries. According to the experts, the global gaming sector is expected to reach around $270 billion by 2025 and a mouth-watering $583 billion before the end of the decade.
One of the driving forces behind the success and mainstream popularity of video gaming is the sheer volume of professional online gamers. They are known as gaming influencers who are affiliated with certain major brands.
Let’s dive straight in to learn more about the role of influencers in the gaming industry. Also, we’ll reveal the names of five of today’s biggest video game influencers.
What Is a Video Game Influencer
A video game influencer is just like an influencer from any other industry. They are content creators whose sole purpose is to make money for themselves and the companies they promote.
Just like today’s most notable influencers that help online roulette UK iGaming sites become more popular, video game influencers help make gaming industry brands and eSports more popular. They also help generate more revenue for the brands they promote.
Influencers do so by making pre-recorded videos or live-streaming videos to a global audience via one or more of the world’s biggest social media platforms or streaming sites.
They promote products for gaming companies and other media agencies through the videos they upload or livestream, or through the posts they add to their social media accounts.
The most successful video game influencers generate millions of dollars for the company’s products/services they promote and regularly earn seven-figure sums or more per year. They are a modern form of marketing for certain types of businesses and are now heavily relied on by the world’s biggest gaming brands.
They can often be seen playing the latest video games, using the latest gaming products, or simply reviewing them, talking about them with subscribers/followers, pro gamers, industry experts, and other influential people from the gaming world.
Why Do Companies Use Influencers to Sell Their Brands
Consumers trust certain influencers, and it’s much easier to have a connection with a person than with a company.
Influencers are used to help generate revenue that traditional advertising and marketing techniques cannot replicate. Influence marketing campaigns are basically another form of advertising and an additional revenue stream for businesses.
People today have become more aware of annoying adverts. They even use tools such as ad blocker software to get rid of adverts when they visit websites from their smartphones, tablets, laptops, or desktop computers.
Using top influencers is one of the quickest and most effective ways for brands to get their products or services noticed by an audience of millions. The influencers often have an affinity with the brands they promote, which comes across in their personalities and reviews of products.
Who Are the Gaming Industry’s Biggest Influencers in 2024
Today, there are hundreds of video gaming influencers. So, instead of listing them all, here are the names of just five of the world’s biggest influencers that some of you may already be familiar with by now from various platforms, such as Twitch and YouTube.
They also have a presence on several other social media platforms, such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Hitbox, Beam, Azubu, Gosu Gamers, Bigo Live, and Discord, to name a few. They include the following major personalities:
- Influencer: PewDiePie. Net Worth: $40 million. Followers/subscribers: 21.8 million (Instagram), 111 million (YouTube), 530K (X)
- Influencer: Total Gaming. Net Worth: $4.6 million. Followers/subscribers: 3.4 million (Instagram), 35 million (YouTube), 205K (X)
- Influencer: Markiplier. Net Worth: $36 million. Followers/subscribers: 11.2 million (Instagram), 34.8 million (YouTube), 14 million (X)
- Influencer: SSSniperWolf. Net Worth: $16 million. Followers/subscribers: 5.6 million (Instagram), 34 million (YouTube), 1 million (X)
- Influencer: Jacksepticeye. Net Worth: $26 million. Followers/subscribers: 8 million (Instagram), 30 million (YouTube), 8 million (X)
Final note
Other notable video game influencers out there today are FGTeeV, Jelly, Ninja, VanossGaming, and DanTDM.
Influencers are, without a doubt, here to stay. They will continue to collaborate with major brands, and we will likely see many other people rise through the ranks over the coming years to become major global gaming influencers for the world’s biggest gaming brands.
FAQs
Video game influencers make money through various revenue streams. It includes sponsorships, brand partnerships, ad revenue from platforms like YouTube and Twitch, and merchandise sales. They promote products and services for gaming companies, earning a commission or a flat fee in return.
Video game influencers utilize a range of social media platforms such as YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Hitbox, Beam, Azubu, Gosu Gamers, Bigo Live, Discord, and more. Their presence across multiple platforms helps them connect with a diverse audience.
Top video game influencers can earn significant amounts, with some reaching seven-figure incomes or more annually. The earnings come from a combination of sponsorships, ad revenue, and other monetization strategies. Net worth figures for influencers like PewDiePie, Total Gaming, Markiplier, SSSniperWolf, and Jacksepticeye are mentioned in the article.
