The SK Gaming CS:GO Team Dominates Championship Winnings
The SK Gaming CS:GO team has emerged as the top earners in the world of esports, both on and off the server. Their recent victory at the ECS Season 3 Finals solidified their position, as reported by esportsearnings.
Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo, the captain and primary AWP of SK Gaming, is leading the charts with an astounding $545,257.62 in total winnings over the past five years. Coming in at number two is Fernando “fer” Alvarenga, the X-factor of the team, with a total of $542,557.62. Marcelo “coldzera” David, who is often considered the best player in the world, follows closely behind FalleN and fer with $533,568.54. Epitacio “TACO” Pessoa rounds off the team’s domination at number four, earning $523,676.97.
ESL Cologne Major and Other Notable Wins
A major portion of SK Gaming’s winnings is attributed to their victories at the ESL Cologne Major in July 2016 ($500,000 split among the five players), IEM Syndey in May 2017 ($100,000), and the ECS Season 3 Finals ($250,000). The remaining amount has been accumulated through top finishes in various tournaments throughout 2016 and 2017.
Surpassing Former Record Holders
The players from SK Gaming have surpassed former record holders to claim the top spots in earnings. Nathan “NBK” Schmitt of G2 Esports, Andreas “Xyp9x” Højsleth, Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen, and Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz, all from Astralis, are now placed five through eight in the earnings rankings.
Rising Stars and Potential Earnings
One of SK Gaming’s newest additions, Joao “felps” Vasconcellos, is steadily rising in the rankings and currently sits at number 48 with $202,241.69 in earnings. Meanwhile, Lincoln “fnx” Lau, the team’s former member, has dropped to number 20 with $419,635.65 after being benched by Immortals. Fnx was traded for felps in February.
FalleN, fer, coldzera, TACO, and fnx are not only the most successful players from Brazil in esports but also represent a country renowned for its talented soccer teams. Felps holds the seventh spot, followed closely by Guilherme “GuiFera” Fonseca, the top earner in Pro Evolution Soccer 2017. Felps has the potential to claim the sixth spot after the upcoming ESL Cologne event from July 4 to 9.
The rankings for event earnings are expected to see a significant shift in the coming weeks with the ESL Cologne and the PGL Krakow Major on the horizon.