The Golden Age of Esports Players: Age, Prize Distributions, and Competitive Lifespans From 1997 to 2023

Background Esports has evolved into a global industry with multimillion-dollar tournaments, yet player careers are often short, with reliance on prize money creating financial uncertainty. Methods Using Esports Earnings data (1997–2023), this study analyzed 259,522 tournament records and 50,441 players from 201 games. Generalized Additive Models examined non-linear relationships between player age and prize money across genres, platforms, and time periods. Results Peak prize earnings typically occur at 21.2 years, but vary by genre, platform, and era. Battle Royale and Sports games peak earlier at about 19, while FPS, MOBA, and Fighting games peak later, at about 21. Platform analysis reveals that PC games peak at 21, while Console and Mobile games appeal to younger demographics, peaking at 20 and 19. Over four distinct time periods, the competitive window expanded considerably, suggesting that industry-wide professionalization and larger prize pools may be allowing older players to sustain successful. Conclusion The study highlights the short competitive lifespan of esports players compared to traditional sports and suggests the need for comprehensive support systems to enhance career longevity. Understanding these trends can inform career decisions, investment strategies, talent scouting, and policy development within the esports industry.