6 Ways You Can Make Money as a High-Level CS:GO Player

Counter-Strike is an iconic video game. It's one of the most known games in history so far. Everyone has heard of it, even people who haven't played the game. At the same time, most of the gamers today have played the game for at least some time.

It also has one of the most developed gaming communities and professional scenes. There are hundreds of tournaments all around the world and many professional teams competing with each other. If you're good at the game, there are quite a lot of opportunities to make money from CS:GO.

Even though CS:GO isn't at its peak in terms of popularity, its scene is still alive and well. If you got the necessary skills as a player, here are some of the ways you can cash in on them.

1. Streaming

Streaming is a form of online entertainment. It means sharing your screen in real-time so that others can watch you play a game. Streaming has been around for a long time, and the most popular streaming platform is called Twitch.

There are thousands of CS:GO players streaming online. You get paid by getting subscribers and donations from them. However, to do this, you will have to be a really good play or to have an entertaining commentary or both.

In general, people won't watch someone who doesn't know what they are doing in the game. Simply put, a certain level of skill is mandatory. Bear in mind that it takes time to build a stream channel and get lots of subscribers that are willing to donate to your stream.

2. Professional Player on a Team

If you already have good skills at a game, why not go pro? This might sound easy, but there are a lot of people out there looking to do the same thing. However, it's not impossible. It's all about networking with players and the whole CS community.

You need to find a good team and make some good results. On the other hand, you can play solo and climb the ranks to get noticed by team managers or coaches. CS:GO has a well-established e-sports scene, and it isn't that difficult to start playing with a real team professionally.

But you need to take it seriously, just as you would any other career path. It's important to play really often, practice, work with your team, and have a professional approach to the game.

3. Coaching Staff on a Team

Lots of players have a "solid" base of mechanical skills but simply don't have that elite talent. On the other hand, there are also players who are technical masters but don't have a sense of strategy and tactics.

If you have a tactical mind, you might be able to find your place on a team but in a coach's role. Coaches are very analytical when it comes to the game. They learn new things and break the "meta" constantly. The road to this position is similar to becoming a professional player.

You will have to show your brilliant mind for the game and lead a team. In this role, you will coach players on approaching the game, discussing strategies, team composition, weapons used, and analyzing other teams and their weaknesses.

4. Item Sales

If you're good at CS:GO, then you've probably won a lot of games. This means that you play the game for some time and also get your fair share of random drops. At the same time, you probably also got lots of promotional weapons and containers. Simply put, you have a stack of items in your inventory.

This can be your foundation for becoming a trader. CS:GO trading is really popular because there are lots of items, and players can obtain them in so many ways. You can trade items with other players, buy them on Steam or buy and sell them on third-party marketplaces.

It's all about getting good items and selling them. However, you should also be invested in the market, follow trends, join giveaways, and learn when to buy/sell items to make the most out of them.

5. Coaching Amateurs and Aspiring Players

The CS:GO world is so big that even novice players want to pay others to coach them. Yes, the game has gone so far that players have perfected their skills and work on them every day to become better than others.

It's a highly competitive scene in which people can't get to that "high level" without someone better teaching them. There are many platforms where you can join as a coach to teach players. It's about giving them lessons, showing them tricks, and giving them more information about the game itself.

6. Casting Gigs

As you might know, bigger competitive tournaments are often streamed live. Several games are played at the same time, with casters commenting about the plays, analyzing matches, and giving input to viewers.

These casters usually come with a player background. After all, you need to be quick on your feet and keep track of everything that's going on. You need to have a good understanding of the game and the important things that are happening.

Viewers often can't follow all the events that are happening in the game. You need to navigate through the match, explain what is going on, analyze teams and players, and make the whole experience even more entertaining.

Conclusion

All of these options are pretty realistic, and lots of people earn money this way. However, you need to find what suits you best. Try them out and consider doing multiple things at the same time. For example, lots of professional players play competitive CS:GO matches and stream when they have free time.