If you’re a gamer parent and your child says they want to become an esports competitor, make sure to leave out the rest of the information in this article.
Former Call of Duty pro and current streamer and podcast host ZooMaa revealed some mindblowing numbers about Call of Duty League (CDL) salaries, or at least how much they used to make when the league began back in 2019. Brace yourself. And I’m sorry.
“My salary on the New York Subliners [CDL team] and [2019’s CoD: Modern Warfare] was like 245, 250,” ZooMaa said in a clip from his live stream. That’s $250,000, mind you. “I think my second year was like, a tad bit lower.”
Heading into the CDL’s inception in 2019, ZooMaa was a high-performing player with a strong track record, but this number is still likely surprising to many, especially those not typically involved in the gamersphere. And this was just his contracted salary, which doesn’t include money coming in from things like Twitch subscriptions or YouTube ad revenue, so he was raking in even more than this.
Since 2019, the CDL’s value has dropped, with CoD publisher Activision shuttering or toning down several of its esports programs, so salaries most likely aren’t as bloated anymore. But what’s most shocking is that ZooMaa wasn’t an outlier and wasn’t even a top earner back then, according to him. There were salaries even higher than his.
“That’s literally the norm,” he said. “250 in MW19, that was the average. [Former CoD pro ACHES] was on 400. Pat actually finessed the fuck out of [CDL team Los Angeles Guerrillas]. They had to have been sick to their stomach.”
For reference, ACHES is a two-time former world champion and is considered by many to be one of the best legacy players as CoD built its esports scene up in the early 2010s. But what about the “worst” or less impactful players?
“Think about your dirt shit pro players,” he said. “Like, bottom of the barrel. They’re making 170, 180. There was terrible players on 180.” Yes, even those considered worse than some others were making bank.
Try not to think about this or compare it to your own salaries, folks. This was a different time, and it’s not all that bad compared to what some MLB or NBA players make, right?
Yeah, maybe pick up a PS5 Pro and a Scuf controller for your kids. Just to be safe.