Activision’s Video Game Pros to Earn Minimum of $50,000 a Year

Video-game players competing in Activision Blizzard Inc.’s new esports league will receive minimum salaries of $50,000 a year, health insurance and retirement benefits.

Players in the Overwatch League, set to launch later this year, will also get at least 50 percent of all performance bonuses earned by their team, the Santa Monica, California-based company said in a statement July 26. Total bonuses distributed in the first season will be $3.5 million, according to Activision, with at least $1 million going to the season champion.

In esports, professional video-game players compete live and online before crowds of spectators. Game publishers see ...