CS:GO is one of the most popular games of modernity. Counter-Strike has successfully passed the test of time. The in-game mechanics, which were widely recognized by gamers all over the world back in 1999, also work nowadays.
A shooter to overcome Counter-Strike is unlikely to appear soon. The trendy Valorant can hardly be called a danger for CS:GO, however, RIOT does not leave the idea of making a competitor and invests serious resources in the development of the discipline.
Such stability provides gamers with an opportunity to build a career around the CS hobby. There are a few options to make money, which should be considered by Counter-Strike fans.
Selling Skins
t is one of the most common options when it comes to making money on your CS:GO hobby. Special online marketplaces allow you to get rid of in-game items without any extra effort and make some money on them.
You can even work on your own schemes, selling items directly to other players.
At first glance, this way to earn money does not seem difficult because a player can own an impressive inventory of unique items to sell after thousands of hours spent in CS:GO.
A preliminary survey of the market may be required. You need to know how pricing works on the market of rare CS:GO items, be aware of events, which can have an impact on the price of items.
There is also a risk of losing money or a rare skin due to scams. But the success in such activity comes with experience.
Online Competitions
The experienced players who are really confident about their skills should try and take part in various CS:GO matches & tournaments. It does not mean that you will always have to move somewhere.
Such events are usually hosted online. There are special global and local web services (FACEIT, Epulze, ESEA), which work as organizers.
Competitions can be hosted in different game modes, including duel, for players with various ranks, daily and monthly. Money prizes depend on the level of organizers, the scale of the event, and the players’ skills.
Definitely, it is not worth thinking about well-being in terms of money but it is a good way to monetize your CS:GO hobby. It is worth noting that popular streamers are frequently organizers of small online tournaments, so it will not be odd to join the Twitch community.
Esports
Many avid CS:GO fans dream of becoming esportsmen. Esports is not about participating in small online competitions. It is glory, travels all around the world, and big money. Professional players receive a stable salary from sponsors.
Esports organizations cover all expenses on the preparation of documents for the best of the best.
The achieved popularity provides many opportunities for further development as a streamer, coach, and content maker. But on the other hand, it is very difficult to realize it.
A gamer on the road to esports faces big competition, which is not surprising if you consider the popularity of Counter-Strike.
He has to refuse many joys of life for training sessions. In such conditions, you can lose your love for a game or even harm your health.
Only the most extreme gamers have to strive to enter esports.
Coaching
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is a competitive game. The real pleasure from CS can be received only by winning matches, not the opposite. And it is impossible if you have no skills.
A CS:GO veteran can share his experience with newcomers, making additional earnings at the same time. We are talking about personal coaching. A pro player can provide CS:GO lessons, receiving an hourly wage.
Such services can be offered through freelance websites and services like Epal. The last one is a service for gamers, which allows you to look for teammates and make friends.
Pro players and content makers, for example, streamers, can offer their candidacy but with the monetary compensation provided for time and useful advice during the game. The service allows you to receive payoffs for every match separately.
It is not mandatory to be a pro-level player to earn on Epal. The positive spirit and charisma replace the experience. Many gamers use Epal to make a friendly team, with which it is just pleasant to play.
Live Broadcasts (Streaming)
This way of making money is easy and difficult at the same time. On one hand, there is nothing easier for a gamer to launch a live broadcast on Twitch. An average PC will deal with the stream because CS is not a demanding game in terms of hardware. Also, a microphone, a web camera, and a high-quality Internet connection are probably available. That’s it, the basic set for a CS:GO stream is ready.
But the problem is that it is impossible to attract viewers (who are the source of income for a streamer) to broadcasts without making an effort.
You need to play on an extremely high level or have a unique appearance and charisma, or to pay the others for advertisements and promotion of your channel to earn well. The people’s desire to self-isolate has impacted positively on this sphere in recent years.
Everyone can find a small but loyal audience, considering the popularity of CS. It is worth noticing that Twitch is not the only option.
As an alternative, there are YouTube, Facebook, GoodGame. The special software allows you to stream on a few platforms at the same time.
Content Creation
There are other spheres of activities, in which a CS:GO fan can realize his talents and make money. You can create any type of content: articles, guides, video clips, and others for a traditional blog or a YouTube channel.
The main thing is that the content must be unique and useful, or, at least, entertaining. There are enough ways to monetize: advertisements, donations, sponsorship, selling brand goods. This activity can be combined well with the above-mentioned streaming and coaching.
All of these can be done at the same time, gathering your audience piece by piece. YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and also blogging services are suitable platforms for this activity.
To reduce your dependence on various services, you can make your own website and upload different content on it and choose ways of its monetization.
By far, the best way of blog monetization is affiliate marketing as well as referral marketing. The main difference between the two is that the latter is more personal since you need to be using the product or service yourself.
For reference, the passive income app Honeygain has a referral program where you can receive continuous profits from your referrals as long as you and they are using the app.
If you want to implement affiliate and referral marketing as a way of monetizing your blog, it is important to remember that you should choose the brands that you genuinely enjoy and that they must suit your content and audience.
Conclusion
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive hobby, as any other hobby, can be turned into an additional way of income with the right approach. There are enough opportunities. It depends on the gamer’s skills, personal qualities, and a particular activity. You can win tournaments and earn prize money, teach others to play effectively and make money on it, or produce content, which will be demanded in the CS community, and then monetize it.
