Recently, Rainbow Six Siege coach Jonathan “Jok3r” Paarsch shook the esports world by revealing the concerningly low salaries of most Rainbow Six Siege pros in the scene. Despite being considered a successful esports title, the PSG Talon coach explained that many pro players from North America and Europe earn $2,500 or less per month. And some partner teams are barely making $1,500.

This is less than the minimum wage for a full-time job in Germany, where he is from. Jok3r tweeted: “You can maybe commit to doing esports for $1-1.5K a month (after taxes) when you are 18-20, but it’s just not a smart choice when you get older and want an adult lifestyle.

“Yes, we all love to compete and it’s our goal to make it to the top, but you can’t get professional players and environments for this money.”

Jok3r questioned what could be done at this point. Most esports scenes do not make money, with tournament organizers and esports organizations operating at a loss. Esports makes its money from investments and sponsorships, which is often why you’ll see gambling and crypto companies easily able to get their logos slapped on jerseys.

“I bet we will see more and more pros retiring after their contracts run out,” Jok3r concluded.

Rainbow Six Siege pros argue over low salaries in esports scene

There was significant pushback from the esports community as a whole against Jok3r’s take. A lot of Rainbow Six fans noted that a middle-of-the-road team with no results shouldn’t be making more money anyway. Said one harsh comment: “If you ain’t in a winning team by the time you’re 22 or making $50k+ a year putting in countless hours of R6. You should just retire and find a real job. Living with your parents and playing video games all day for scraps while looking like a bum just ain’t it.”

Others pointed out that, while Ubisoft should be investing more in the esports scene, there are alternative ways to make money if a pro’s salary isn’t cutting it. Top Siege players could also turn to streaming and content creation, or try winning some prize money. The problem is “attitude,” said G2‘s Jack “Doki” Robertson.

He even said that mediocre players asking for more than $2,500 a month is “selfish” since they can make over $5,000 if they add in their tournament winnings. He explained: “Siege prize pools are very, very good compared to a lot of other esports. But you see more of these players cry about bad conditions instead of putting in extra effort.”

Jok3r responded to Doki’s experience with some counterarguments. He pointed out that you “won’t get professional people” for such a small salary, which could rule out a lot of potential players who can’t afford to live for such a low monthly income. This means a lot of pros won’t improve enough since they can’t keep grinding for $2,000 a month. He said he’d maybe take that pay while he was in university, but as an adult he doesn’t want to go through that kinda struggle lifestyle.

Another Siege community member pointed out that it’s even harder for “support staff,” who “make pennies in comparison to players, often don’t get prize money, etc. And their avenues for content creation/streaming are much more limited. Plus, they often don’t have the time for alternative streams of income.”

It’s a complicated situation that has shed light on the ongoing struggles within various esports industries. Speaking of, I think Rainbow Six Siege pros are seeing a lot more money than Super Smash Bros. players, who are often grinding and traveling for $2,500 a year.