Have you been a gamer or had an interest in gaming since what seems like birth? If so, chances are you were told at some point that sitting on a video game all day probably wouldn’t do much for you in life. And unless you’re a professional gamer, there may be some truth to that statement.
But here’s the thing: you have a chance to earn cold hard cash by playing video games, even if it’s just a few hundred bucks a month. Not bad for doing something you love. Interested in the opportunity? Read on to explore your options, along with ways to start growing your bank account.
Launch a YouTube Gaming Channel
Will you be the next YouTube celebrity? You never know until you create your own YouTube gaming channel and start gaining followers. And even if you never earn millions and reach celebrity status like DanTDM, Logan Paul, Markiplier, or PewDiePie, it’s still possible to earn a generous amount of dough.
How so? For starters, you’ll need engaging content to attract viewers who will eventually subscribe and follower your page. The more hits, the more exposure, and possibly sponsorships, which means more money in your pocket. Cha-ching!
But what constitutes engaging content? It depends on your core audience, but most highly-paid YouTube gamers post videos that:
- Show themselves playing in thrilling live-action scenes (quick note: sound effects here are a plus)
- Share advice so help others master obstacles on popular games
- Offer top secret strategies to win
And the list goes on.
To get started, you’ll need equipment that doesn’t glitch so you can give your followers the best viewing experience. It could be as simple as investing in inexpensive, but quality equipment to shoot the videos. Also, consider purchasing games that are hot on the gaming circuit (depending on your console). No one wants to watch videos from games that came out five years ago.
Another Tip: Create a posting schedule and stick to it. Consistency is always a plus when you’re trying to establish yourself as a major player on YouTube. And you can always research to see what others are doing as you’re getting started and starting to build momentum.
Create Gaming Tutorials
How does the thought of making money to show others how to play the hottest games sound? Believe it or not, these individuals, referred to as gaming coaches, make a hefty sum of cash. Interested in a gaming coach side hustle? Look no further than Fiverr.
Fiverr
It’s free to sign up and start selling your game coaching services on Fiverr. Simply create an online profile, set up your services (also called gigs), and you’ll be on your way to making money. Each gig must have a minimum price of $5 to be listed on the platform.
With regards to fees, you’ll pay 20 percent of each transaction. So for every $100 you earn, Fiverr will keep $20. There’s also a 14-day waiting period to withdraw funds unless you’re a Top Rated Seller. In that case, the withdrawal waiting period is on 7 days.
Gaming experts on Fiverr currently offer support to both single users and teams for the following games:
- Apex Legends
- Destiny 2
- Fortnite
- League of Legends
- Minecraft
- Overwatch
- Roblox
- Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
Is there a hot new upcoming game that’s not listed? Be the first to start offering game coaching services so you can get a headstart on the competition.
Once you’re up and running, you can choose to deliver your coaching services live or through pre-recorded sessions. The latter allows you to work at any time of the day that’s convenient for you.
YouTube
To piggyback off the last point, there is a select group of gamers that use YouTube exclusively for tutorials. While it may be a bit tougher to garner enough views to roll in the dough, it’s not a bad way to earn a small passive source of income.
Enter Video Game Competitions
One way to do so is by becoming an eSports competitor. This online platform is the fastest growing gaming community portal that allows professional gamers to earn money by entering competitions or tournaments.
So, if you have what it takes in the games listed below, this may be the perfect opportunity for you to get started and make money:
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
- Dota 2
- Hearthstone
- Heroes of the Storm
- League of Legends
- Overwatch
- PlayerUnknowns’ Battlegrounds
- StarCraft II
Start by connecting with other key players, like well-known gaming teams or organizations, if you think you’re talented enough to join one of the competitive teams that participate in eSports tournaments. You may just land a position on a winning team and experience your first big gaming payday.
Another way to garner exposure is by showcasing your expertise on YouTube. By rising to fame, you will more than likely catch the attention of prominent individuals in the gaming world.
Best of all, shining bright at an eSports tournament could pave the way for sponsorships and even bigger opportunities in the industry.
Launch a Gaming Blog
Blogging, or in this case, vlogging, is another way to make money playing video games. But you should know that despite the potential to earn big bucks, it may take quite some time to find traction.
Like YouTube, you can post videos to your page, hence the name vlog. But you can also take it a step further by writing or even recording reviews of the hottest games on the market and working hard to get views so you can earn through advertising.
But if you want to rake in the cash faster, embed affiliate links into your website and earn a commission each time makes a purchase using your link. That means you can earn passive income, even when you’re sleeping. Amazon.com Associates is an ideal program to help you get the ball rolling with this.
Twitch Streaming
Already have a YouTube gaming channel? You can expand your horizons and earn even more by live streaming your gaming videos from Xbox, PlayStation, or NintendoSwitch, just to name a few, through Twitch.
To start earning, you’ll need to have at least 500 regular views for each video published. Once you reach this milestone, apply to be a Twitch Partner. It’s free and allows you to start getting paid for your gaming efforts. And with this status, you’ll enjoy the following benefits:
- A monthly payout of $2.50 per subscriber
- The ability to earn ad revenue (expect to earn $250 each month for every 100 subscribers you have)
Another added perk: the ability to ask for followers for donations directly on your channel to support your gaming efforts, no matter how many viewers and subscribers you have. So even if you just signed up yesterday, you can start collecting donations today.
Use Online Platforms
InboxDollars
This online platform allows you to earn cash when you play video games online. InboxDollars currently offers over 30 games to choose from, and they can be accessed via your mobile device or desktop.
To sign up, simply enter your email address and a unique password into the online form found on the homepage. Even better InboxDollars will give you a $5 bonus just for joining their platform. It doesn’t cost a dime to register as a member, and you can start earning money right away. To date, they’ve paid out over $56 million to members.
Swagbucks
Swagbucks tops Inbox Dollars by offering $10 when you sign up for their platform. They also offer a plethora of online games to choose from so you can start earning points just for playing. But here’s the catch: you’ll have to spend at least $1 per game to earn points. And once you have enough Swagbucks points in your account, they can be redeemed for gift cards.
They’ve currently paid members over $359,379,188 in rewards, and that number continues to grow by the minute.
Pursue a Career in Gaming
Interested in earning a living from video games? Fortunately, there are several fun ways to do so.
Video Game Development
You’ll need to pursue some form of higher education to land a position with some of the top video game developers. The good news is once your foot is in the door, you have the opportunity to earn a generous salary doing something you love.
Video Game Customer Support
If you prefer to work for a video game developer but don’t have much of an interest in the techie side of things, you may find a career as a video game customer support representative rewarding. Instead of dealing with angry callers that can’t figure out why their game keeps spazzing out, you’ll be tackling issues on the lighter end of the spectrum that deal with things, like billing, subscriptions, and order fulfillment.
Video Game Reviewer
Do you have skills on the keyboard as well as the gaming console? If so, you can get paid to become a video game critic. You’ll need to do some legwork to identify sites that will pay you for your feedback, but they are out there. And if you have a way with words, there’s no reason why you can’t get paid to write reviews on your favorite video games.
In case you need a helping hand getting started, check out Killer Guides, and What Culture.
Video Game Technical Support
Along with customer support representatives, video gamer developers also hire individuals that can lend technical assistance to frustrated callers. More than likely, you’ll need to possess a vast knowledge of gaming in general, and the developer will require specialized training on the game you’re dealing with.
Video Game Testing
Did you know some companies will pay you to test out their upcoming new releases and identify any kinks? Yes, there is such a thing as a video game tester and you can get started by checking out these options.
The Bottom Line
Ready to venture into the world of making money playing video games? By taking advantage of one or several of these opportunities, you’ll be well on your way.
