The Great Migration: Why Top eSports Players Are Leaving Teams to Become Content Creators

When Michael “Shroud” Grzesiek walked away from professional Counter-Strike: Global Offensive in 2018 to become a full-time streamer, it sent a tremor through the competitive gaming world. Once seen as an outlier, his move was the beginning of a mass exodus that has redefined what success looks like in eSports. Now, a growing number of top-tier players are abandoning the grind of scrims and tournaments in favour of ring lights, subscriber counts, and lucrative brand deals.

This shift reflects a broader transformation in the digital entertainment landscape — one that mirrors changes in industries from music to sports betting, where transparency tools like NZ iGaming rankings now guide consumer decisions in real time. In eSports, the scoreboard is no longer the only metric of success. For many pros, the streaming economy offers something that competitive play increasingly cannot: sustainability.

The new economy of streaming vs. competition

Ten years ago, being a pro gamer meant gruelling training schedules, modest salaries, and limited exposure outside your fanbase. Winning LANs was the goal, and the rare few who made it could earn enough to break even — or maybe thrive — during a short-lived career.

Today, content creation is the new arena. Streaming platforms like Twitch, YouTube Gaming, and Kick have become multi-billion-dollar ecosystems. The most successful streamers draw more eyes than some primetime TV shows. They don’t need to lift trophies to command relevance; all they need is an audience.

For top-tier players, the incentives have flipped. The competitive circuit demands 10-hour scrim blocks, high-pressure events, and travel burnout — often for salaries that are dwarfed by what top creators make through subscribers, ad revenue, donations, and brand endorsements.

Meanwhile, streaming offers a scalable, semi-passive income stream with fewer gatekeepers. You’re your own boss. You own your schedule, your brand, your community.

A typical breakdown of revenue streams for a successful content creator might look like this:

Add to that the rising trend of crypto and gambling sponsorships (especially in regions with relaxed regulations), and it’s clear why streaming is more than just a fallback — it’s the new apex.

Why burnout and pay disparity drive exits from pro play

Professional gaming looks glamorous from the outside — lights, crowds, noise-cancelling headsets. But behind the scenes, players often face mental and physical exhaustion.

Burnout is a recurring theme. The average age of retirement in eSports is absurdly young; some top talents exit before 25. Long practice hours, social isolation, and intense scrutiny on performance can turn passion into pressure. Unlike traditional sports, there’s limited infrastructure for mental health or career longevity. Contracts are short, expectations are high, and downtime is a luxury.

For many, the final straw is compensation. Despite industry growth, pay disparity remains a concern. Only the elite of the elite earn six- or seven-figure salaries from teams. For everyone else — mid-tier players, benched talent, or those in emerging titles — salaries can be modest and inconsistent.

Compare that to content creators with moderate followings who rake in stable monthly income, collaborate with brands on their terms, and have equity in their own names. The message becomes clear: if you’re already famous in-game, why not be famous — and independent — online?

There’s also the question of job security. Contracts can be terminated. Roles can be replaced. But an audience you’ve built yourself? That’s power, and players are waking up to it.

From scrims to stardom

The movement isn’t hypothetical — it’s already well underway. The most high-profile exits from pro teams have become the new blueprint for eSports success.

Michael “Shroud” Grzesiek left Cloud9’s CS:GO roster and quickly became one of Twitch’s most-watched streamers. His switch to Valorant streaming helped drive early adoption of the game. In 2020, he signed an exclusive deal with Mixer, Microsoft’s now-defunct streaming platform, rumoured to be worth $10 million. When Mixer folded, Shroud returned to Twitch — with a larger following than before.

Richard “Ninja” Blevins rose through the Halo and Fortnite scenes but cemented his legacy through content, not titles. His move to Mixer, followed by a multi-million-dollar return to Twitch and now a platform-agnostic model, made him a media phenomenon. Ninja became the first gamer to appear on ESPN Magazine’s cover, star in Super Bowl ads, and sign with talent agency WME.

Then there’s Tyson “TenZ” Ngo. While he did return to competitive Valorant with Sentinels, TenZ first built his identity through streaming after stepping away from CS:GO. His popularity exploded through ranked play and educational content, making him one of the highest-earning Valorant figures — with or without trophies.

What these stories share is a common theme: visibility is no longer tied to competitive results. In fact, brand power and financial success may be more sustainable outside the professional arena.

Financial models

Content creation thrives on diversification. The shift from salaried team contracts to multi-stream revenue models is not just logical — it’s strategic. Creators don’t rely on a single paycheck; they build financial ecosystems.

A creator with 10,000 paying subscribers on Twitch ($5/month each) makes roughly $35,000 per month before taxes and expenses — and that’s just subscription income. Layer in YouTube ad revenue, branded content campaigns, and donations during streams, and the total jumps exponentially.

Sponsorships are evolving, too. Gaming peripherals, energy drinks, and clothing brands are familiar partners. But increasingly, high-earning creators are turning to more controversial streams of income: gambling, crypto, and NFT platforms. In some cases, creators have been paid millions to feature online casinos or crypto betting sites during streams, especially on less-regulated platforms like Kick.

This brings both opportunity and scrutiny. Critics warn of the ethical grey area — particularly when gambling content reaches younger audiences. Others argue it reflects an increasingly corporate gaming landscape where morals often bow to money.

Still, for many ex-pros turned creators, the gamble seems to be paying off — literally and figuratively.

Final say

The migration of elite eSports players from team-based competition to content creation isn’t a fluke — it’s a redefinition. It reflects deeper shifts in how digital fame, income, and influence are distributed in gaming.

Yes, the rush of lifting a trophy still holds prestige. But for many, building a brand, owning their schedule, and speaking directly to an audience carries a different — and longer-lasting — kind of value.

This isn’t the end of competitive eSports. But it might be the beginning of something even bigger — a hybrid model where the most successful gamers no longer play for organisations, but alongside them, on their own terms.

The future of eSports isn’t just played on stage — it’s streamed live, monetised in real-time, and built by those who know that sometimes, the best move is to log out of the scrim and turn on the camera.