19 Amazing Ways For How To Make Money Playing Video Games

Don’t want to work in an office for the rest of your life?

People who play video games know what a great hobby it can be. But did you know that there are people who make a living playing video games?

There are teenagers earning thousands of dollars every month sitting in front of their computers and playing.

You don’t have to become an eSports game champion or the next big Twitch star to make money playing video games or get a job in the video game industry.

If you have a computer and an internet connection, that’s all you need to get started.

But before you can make money playing video games, there’s something you need: dedication and skill.

Here are some pieces of advice and job ideas for beginners looking to make money playing video games:

Jobs To Make Money Playing Video Games

There are actually many ways to make money playing video games or other fun activities. You can pick up playing games as a side hustle or swap to a whole new career.

There are game hosts who live-stream themselves playing video games while interacting with viewers. Some gamers make money playing video games by scoring sponsorships for big brands.

More popular is the almost-extinct profession of an eSports player – professional players whose game skills and achievements have made them so famous that they are a great investment for companies looking to advertise their products.

Let’s take a look at the various jobs we recommend if you like to play video games:

1. Quality Assurance Tester

An alpha tester is the final tester within a video game company that tests the game before it is released.

In this job, you’d be known as a Game Tester or Quality Assurance Tester (QA), specifically working within the company to find bugs before the game is released.

Testers for video games must have:

Experience with software testing and/or ability to learn new complex software quickly
Excellent communication skills, both verbal & written English fluently
Self-starter who can take initiative as well as work well in a team
Good understanding of software/game development process and methodologies
Experience with beta testing games is an advantage but not necessary
Must be willing to take on new challenges and adapt to a rapidly changing environment

You can find video game companies that want to hire alpha testers to work from home! And working from home is one of the best ways to make money, we’re living proof.

It sounds amazing, doesn’t it?

2. Game Blogger

Yes, even as a blogger, you can make money playing video games! It’s a fun career that people can tap into no matter what video games you like to play.

A Blogger writes an advice/entertainment blog for their viewers and has many ways to make money, and in this case, the entertainment is video games!

They earn money writing on their blog or they may be given incentives such as free products from the video game company they are reviewing for.

The best thing about running your own blog is that you are in charge of what you write about – which means that you can focus solely on making money with gaming content.

But a common mistake that people make with a blog is assuming that you can just start a blog, share some stuff, and then the money will just start rolling in. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way.

You will need to make sure that you have a plan on how you are going to monetize your blog – perhaps look at other gaming blogs and figure out what they are doing.

If you want to learn how to set up a successful blog and start monetizing right away, check out our FREE Blog Boot Camp to get started.

3. YouTube Streamer

As a YouTube streamer, you create videos of yourself playing a particular game while interacting with your viewers over chat.

You play whatever games you feel like, or you can pick a particular game that’s really popular, but most games have a strong following you can get paid from.

You get paid by the number of views you generate and/or through sponsorships you get on your YouTube Channel.

One of the ways to earn money is by getting sponsored for certain brands or products in your videos and also ads from YouTube.

It kind of goes without saying, but the bigger the following and engagement you have, the better you will do in terms of making money from it. It is a good idea to look at other channels to see the kind of content they do that resonates well.

If you want to make money playing games, having a YouTube channel is something that you will want to seriously consider, as that’s where you will find a lot of your followers!

Here are a few ways you can make money playing video games on YouTube:

Speedruns

Competition is a huge part of the internet – your YouTube channel can get in on the action!

This is for gamers that know how to play their games really well and can get competitive about getting it done faster than others.

How it works is that you get paid for the amount of time it takes to complete a game (or certain levels within a game), besides earning money from your viewers and YouTube.

Tutorials/Video Game Coach

A gamer can make money by coaching their viewers on how to get better at certain games. It’s usually based on the number of students they have or through monthly subscriptions.

You could also provide tutorials on platforms such as Youtube to grow your follower base. This is something that you will find will grow over time, as more people find you to watch your gaming and see that you will be able to help them.

Blind Reactions/First Tries

This is for gamers who can give their opinion on products they have never seen or used before.

You usually get paid by the company you are reviewing for (as long as it’s not a competitor), in addition to getting paid per view.

Review Video Games

If you are a gamer and love playing video games, why not make money by reviewing the latest ones?

You could do this on platforms such as Youtube or your own blog.

Once you have built up a decent following you can make money through ads or even with sponsorships. You could either reach out to companies directly or wait for them to come to you!

4. Twitch Streamer

This is for gamers who love to live stream their games live on Twitch, and the types of things you do would be the same as on YouTube.

You can speed run, do blind reactions, or branch out to whatever your subscribers are interested in!

You can participate in video game tournaments and win prize money, which gets you sweet clout and “street cred” as a good gamer. These are becoming more popular as eSports become mainstream.

Live streaming on Twitch to make money is very popular for gamers, so we do really recommend that you join!

The best part is you probably already have most, if not all, of the gaming equipment you need to start a money-making stream. 

5. Game Tester (Beta Tester)

A beta tester is someone who signs up to test the latest version of a video game before it is released.

It’s similar to the internal Game Tester or QA Tester, but you would be almost like a contract or freelance worker.

They are usually required to give feedback on glitches or problems that they find in the game.

The beta tester role can be done remotely as they send the video game to you for review, but testing games do require some technical knowledge to do so.

6. Professional Gamer

This is for gamers who want to make a living by playing video games competitively.

Not only do you have to be good, but you also need to be creative to stand out, as this is the least common type of career when it comes to video game jobs.

It will take a lot of time and effort to become a professional gamer – it’s like anything where you want to be a pro – you will have to be amazing!

7. Video Game Developer/Designer

If you’re good at video games and have the creative skills to design them can become a video game developer or designer.

Where someone else makes the story and plot, you are focused on bringing the video game to life.

Game developers do the coding, and designers do the art style- and some people wind up doing both.

Developing and designing games aren’t things that you can just do straight away – you will need to be skilled and dedicated to designing games.

Game developers need to be good at programming, art, and animation. You can attend school for this profession or learn it on your own.

8. Video Game Journalist

People who have excellent writing skills and like to investigate can become video game journalists.

They are required to analyze the latest news in the video game industry, as well as review new games that come out. This is another field where you can get creative and have fun, even if you’re not directly playing all the time.

Being a video game journalist usually means working for a magazine or as a freelancer, and both with the potential to work at home.

The most important thing to remember is that it’s not enough to be good at playing video games to make money off of this.

You need the creative skills and knowledge to come up with new ideas as well as the ability to communicate them efficiently.

Other Ways To Make Money Playing Video Games

Now that we’ve discussed some jobs to make money playing games, there are a few other options for you that you can do to monetize your channels or make money playing games in other ways:

9. Patreon

Patreon is a website that allows content creators to get financial support directly from their fans.

This is a great way for gamers who love streaming or creating gaming videos on YouTube to monetize their work and receive support from people who enjoy what they do.

You will have a lot of control over what content you monetize there, and the great thing about Patreon is that you can create different levels for your subscribers.

This means that you can have a lower level where it’s cheap/very accessible for a lot of people, and then as the levels go up in price, you can provide more value.

10. Sponsorships

If you already have a following on platforms like Twitch or YouTube, then you can approach video game companies and ask them to sponsor your stream.

This is usually done by creating a sponsorship proposal in which you mention how many followers or subscribers you have, as well as the type of gaming content that will be provided once the sponsorship takes place.

You should also mention the benefits that the company will get in return such as increased sales or exposure (and you must always mark it as an advertisement).

Phone Apps

11. Swagbucks

Swagbucks is a phone app that rewards you for doing what you already do online- shopping, taking surveys, and searching the web.

And, of course, you can get paid to play your favorite video game on your phone! You can redeem these points for gift cards or real money.

12. InboxDollars

InboxDollars is another app that rewards you for playing video games, shopping, searching, and taking surveys. 

It’s an easy app to join for free and start earning points towards free gift cards.

Social Media Accounts

13. Facebook

Facebook can be used to market yourself as a gamer and help you interact more with your followers.

You upload content like you playing a video game, share other video game content, post about updates or changes in the community, and use hashtags that are related to gamers and gaming in general.

You can also use these platforms to interact with other gamers who share an interest in the same games and discuss strategies.

14. Instagram

Instagram is a platform where you can show off the gaming hardware that you use, as well as your overall lifestyle.

It isn’t always about a particular video game- it’s about who you are and why followers should be interested in you!

The great thing about Instagram is that you can put a link in your bio to earn commissions from affiliate links, and when you reach 10k followers, you can do swipe-ups to certain links.

This is good because you can link to your streams or any platforms that you want people to sign up for (e.g., Patreon or your blog).

15. Sell Old Accounts Or Old Games

If you have video game accounts that are old but still valuable, then you can sell them to companies or individuals who might be interested in obtaining a specific account name.

Have you ever seen a super old Pokemon video game (or trading cards!) sold online for lots of money? Your previous accounts or screen names could be worth just as much!

You may also choose to sell any virtual goods that you’ve collected from these games so they don’t go wasted.

Besaides those, you can straight up sell video games you don’t like or don’t feel like playing anymore.

No point in letting money sit around for no reason; you can sell games quickly on Decluttr in minutes.

16. Donations

Some gamers make money from donations from their fans who want them to keep producing content.

This is usually done by creating a website where people can sign up and donate periodically.

You could use a website such as Buy Me a Coffee, GoFundMe, link your PayPal or Venmo account, or direct people to your Patreon if you have one.

17. Video Game Tournaments/Competition Fees

If you’re good at certain games, then you can join online tournaments where winners are rewarded with prize money.

You should also look up local events that may be sponsored by gaming companies and attend them for possible prize winnings.

You will want to look at the skill level of the people who are entering and who usually win the competitions/tournaments, but don’t let it put you off as it will be a good experience and help you to improve.

Merchandise

Selling merchandise like keychains, t-shirts, and other items related to your gaming alter-ego can also boost your earnings.

18. Etsy

Etsy is a popular site where people sell their handmade or specialty crafts, and can also be used to sell game merchandise.

If you enjoy making little knickknacks to give out as gifts to your fans, then Etsy may be your best option for selling them online.

19. Shopify

Shopify is an online store that you can set up to sell your own merch with ease. It’s nice being able to control your own store, and you can include it on your website or blog with no trouble!

Being Safe Online

You should always make sure that you’re aware of the risks involved in making money as a gamer and take care to protect your identity.

There are certain sites online that may claim to pay you, but they only take your credit card information and run away with it.

You should also be careful about who you meet in real life if you’re planning on joining any gaming tournaments. Don’t assume that because you have seen someone online, that you really know them.

NordVPN

NordVPN is an excellent choice for gamers who want to protect their accounts, personal information, and devices from potential threats.

Their “Double VPN” feature ensures the safety of your data by connecting you to two separate servers before encrypting it. They also have advanced features such as ad-blocking and malware protection which can help you stay away from shady sites and viruses.

Their fast speeds are perfect for gamers who like to play online and their large server list allows you to connect to the geographically closest server to get reduced ping times.

All of this is offered at a budget-friendly price so you can enjoy improved security without breaking the bank. In fact, NordVPN is offering a 2-year plan + 3 months for free at 72% off by clicking our exclusive link. 

Key Takeaways

As you can see, many different jobs can be done to make money playing video games. It can be so fun earning extra cash to play games so why not try it out?

You should have a good idea of what type of gaming content you want to provide and how you monetize it as much as possible.

All in all, earning money from video games can be a fun and rewarding experience. It will usually require hard work, dedication, and creativity but you will definitely have fun while doing it!

By following these tips, tips on how to earn money playing video games hopefully won’t seem as daunting of an idea anymore.

If playing games is something that you love to do, being able to monetize it can be a dream come true!

Don’t forget to enjoy gaming online the safe way using NordVPN.