Of course it's about sport. Of course it's about prestige, titles, victories and defeats. But that's not all. eSports is also a huge economic factor. The eSports clans are valuable businesses.
Forbes has now chosen the 10 most valuable eSports teams in 2022. The list of organizations is quite interesting, especially the value estimation. Forbes had published the last list in December 2022. Since then, the values have shot up rapidly.
The 10 most expensive eSports clans at a glance
The following is the list of the currently most valuable eSports associations at a glance
| Rank | Team | Value | Increase (to 2020) |
| 1. | TSM | 513 M. Euro | 32 percent |
| 2. | 100 Thieves | 437 M. Euro | 142 percent |
| 3. | Team Liquid | 418 M. Euro | 42 percent |
| 4. | FaZe Clan | 380 M. Euro | 31 percent |
| 5. | Cloud 9 | 361 M. Euro | 9 percent |
| 6. | G2 Esports | 323 M. Euro | 94 percent |
| 7. | Fnatic | 247 M. Euro | no estimate |
| 8. | Gen.G | 237 M. Euro | 35 percent |
| 9. | NRG | 228 M. Euro | 55 percent |
| 10. | T1 | 209 M. Euro | 47 percent |
How the ranking was created
Forbes author Brett Knight created the value ranking based on different criteria. The official figures were included as a basis. These include the prize money, the transmission times in the streams, the sponsorship deals and the players' ratings.
External analyses by eSports experts were also used. Knight has also had numerous conversations with the owners of the e-Sports clans. However, it is also true that some core figures are based on estimates.
Overall, however, the figures may be close to the real value, which will form the foundation in the event of a possible sale or transfer of shares. The total value of the top 10 teams is 3.33 billion euros, a proud 46 percent higher than in December 2020. Even if there are arithmetical deviations, the figures clearly prove the boom in the eSports scene.
Some problems still unresolved
The author of the Forbes analysis provided a framing commentary for publication, in which Brett Knight outlines that the industry continues to have numerous, internal, unresolved issues. The problem is that teams sometimes struggle to generate regular revenue. Particularly problematic, he says, is the sharing of in-game product sales and broadcast rights.
The power here is in the hands of the game owners, who give their teams and professional players very different shares of the revenues. The top providers, Riot Games being a case in point, provide teams and pros with lucrative fixed contracts.
Teams try to earn money in different ways
How individual eSports teams earn extra money besides prize money is quite different. It has been shown that clans choose completely different ways, with no variant proving to be the “sanctuary” so far. For example, common projects include training apps, content production, and subscription-based rewards programs for fans.
Other teams are moving toward cryptocurrency, blockchain technologies and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) – a path seen as critical by many eSports fans.
The up-and-comer compared to December 2020 – 100 Thieves – is looking to make a name for itself in the market as a lifestyle label, including its own fashion collection as well as its own gaming hardware. So far, the numbers speak for 100 Thieves.
