How to Make Real Money Playing COD Warzone
In this day and age, playing video games for a living is no longer an unimaginable teenage fantasy but instead a realistic aspiration that should be encouraged and nurtured. Following a boom in popularity, the video game industry has seen more financial backing than ever before. In 2023, the global market value of video games increased by nearly 20 million US dollars, and it’s expected to continue growing in 2024 to reach an estimated 217 million by 2025. This rise in popularity has led to a drastic investment surge in the video game industry, particularly in its competitive divisions.
Popular games today aren’t just a means of entertainment but a pathway to new and exciting career opportunities for passionate gamers to grasp. Unsurprisingly popular games such as Fortnite, Warzone, and Overwatch offer players the best chances of making a living and earning a stable income. In this article, we will focus on Activision’s latest battle royale title Call of Duty Warzone, and break down all the ways that you, as a gamer, can earn money playing the game.
Play in the Warzone World Series
If you know anything about competitive Warzone, you have probably heard of the Warzone World Series. In a nutshell, it's a Trios Warzone competition that spans a three-week time window and features the world's best players battling it out to get their hands on a mouthwatering 300-thousand-dollar jackpot. Following Warzone's electrifying rise in popularity, this tournament quickly became a staple in the Esports community. Today the Warzone World Series is a high-status gaming event that generates global hype and anticipation every time it's hosted.
The best part is that the event is open to the public, meaning that any player, regardless of skill or experience, can enter the qualifiers and stand a chance at winning pro-level prizes. The only requirement on the player's side is to have two teammates to form a squad. Everything after that is straightforward. You log into the game, select the World Series Trios playlist and compete against the community to earn one of the top 40 scores in your region. The scores are calculated based on two factors: placement and kills. Depending on match placement, your team can get different point multipliers that affect the final score. To reach the initial qualifying stages, your team has to obtain one of the top 40 scores in the region—the competition is divided into an EU and North American division.
Of the 40 teams, half progress to the finals, where they are matched up against 20 pro teams that are invited by the competition’s hosts Prime Gaming. The hosts only invite that year's highest-performing Warzone teams to take part in the World Series finals. These elite players can cruise through a lobby and pick up multiple squad wipes on their way to the finals.
To stand a chance against players of that caliber, your team needs to be a well-oiled machine. Coordination is critical in these instances. You have to play to each other's strengths and work as a unit when you come up against other squads. In short, strategy and complementary play styles greatly contribute to your team's overall performance in the Warzone World Series. On an individual level playing in the World Series demands that you be at the top of your game and keep a laser focus for long periods.
If you've ever played competitive Warzone before, then you know that the margins for error are so small that losing concentration for just a second can spell disaster for you and your entire squad. That pressure makes the tournament so intense and fiercely competitive from start to finish. The epic prize money on the line and the dream of taking it home is the driving factor that motivates every player, whether they’re beginners, veterans, or pro gamers, to become ruthlesskilling machines. In the end, the prospect of playing in the Warzone World Series is enticing, but gamers should not view it as a reliable way to make money playing the game. The truth is that unless you have a committed team and spend 8-10 hours per day practicing, you won't measure up to the competition. Fortunately, there are other more straightforward ways to earn money playing Warzone, which are accessible to everyday gamers.
Register for Free Tournaments
Free tournaments are perfect if you're looking for a simple, relaxed way to make a quick buck playing Call Of Duty Warzone. Several websites allow gamers to play their favorite online video games and compete for money—these are called skill-gaming platforms. Out of the bunch, Game Champions is unique because it's one of the only platforms to host completely Free COD Warzone tournaments. With our free tournaments, players can try out our site and jump right into tournament action without depositing any money. This option is perfect for casual gamers who want to put their skills to the test and experience the thrills of tournament play in a risk-free environment.
The reward structure is another way that our tournaments favor casual players. Unlike in other skill-gaming platforms, we distribute our prizes to the top 15 players on the leaderboard. This system makes winning money on our site an achievement that is within grasp of all our users.
To climb up the leaderboard, you have to challenge other Warzone players in 1v1 kill races and compete for points within an established time limit. Once the clock has run down, the tournament ends, and the cash prizes are split amongst the top 15 players on the leaderboard. We think it's important to offer free entry tournaments to allow players to get a feel for the competitive gaming scene and learn the ins and outs of our site. And the best part is that our tournaments are open to everyone. We welcome Warzone players of every skill level and champion fair competition across the player base. There's no need for any prior experience or a specific Esports background to register an account and join one of our tournaments. The only requirement is to own a console—PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X—, to have a reliable internet connection, and to have a GameChampions account.
Make Money Streaming Warzone on Twitch
If you're an avid Warzone fan, then you've probably heard about Twitch by now, so there's really no need to explain what it is and how it works. But for those who don't know, Twitch is a live-streaming platform that allows creators to stream videos to their followers in real time and interact with their subscribers. Twitch is immensely popular in the gaming world. Some of the biggest names in pro COD, such as Tee Pee, Scump, and Nadeshot, are all active streamers on the platform.
Nowadays, you would be hard-pressed to find a pro gamer who doesn't also have a prominent Twitch account. It’s become an inseparable part of the business to the point that Esport organizations will include bonuses in their player's contracts for reaching certain milestones on Twitch. On the flip side, video games are also one of the biggest genres on Twitch, with gaming-related streams making up 45% of all the content on the site.
So that begs the question: can you make money playing games on Twitch? Having done the research, we're happy to report that the answer is an emphatic YES! Unsurprisingly, when you have a genre this big, bringing in masses in viewership numbers and subscribers money is sure to follow. In particular, Warzone streamers are perfect examples of how lucrative a Twitch career can be. In 2022, Nickmerks and Tfue, two well-known Warzone streamers, were listed as part of the top 10 highest-earning creators on Twitch.
Tfue used his booming YouTube channel as a foundation to grow his Twitch brand and transform himself into a renowned gaming icon. In contrast, Nickmercs amassed a devoted fanbase from his years in the professional COD scene and used that support to transition into one of the world's top Twitch streamers. Ultimately, both streamers surpassed the 5 million dollar mark with their 2022 Twitch earnings, making them not only two of the richest content creators in the industry but two of the wealthiest gamers in general. Their astronomic success is a clear indicator that passionate gamers can build solid careers on Twitch with the right skills and devotion.
Of course, it should go without saying that cases like these are rare and are often a far cry from reality. The truth is that the majority of streamers on Twitch are what can be considered low-level streamers. In most cases, they struggle initially and face an uphill battle to reach Twitch's 100-dollar minimum payout threshold. The reason many streamers face difficulties making money when starting out is often due to the fact that they don't understand the platform's complex payment system.
As a small streamer, there are three different ways in which you can get paid. The first is through subscriptions. Subscriptions as the name implies, are monthly payments made by viewers that have taken the extra step and subscribed to your channel. Subscribers will commit to your channel for several reasons, including the promise of exclusive badges, ad-free viewing, and sometimes simply to support your content.
The second payment method on Twitch is through a form of digital currency called Twitch Bits. In a nutshell, bits are a virtual in-stream currency that viewers can purchase and give out during streams as a way of tipping' or cheering on their favorite creators. As a streamer, you earn precisely $0.1 for each Twitch bit—100 bits is equivalent to $1—and once you have reached the minimum payout threshold, you can cash them out like chips at a casino.
Finally, the last way for a streamer to make money on Twitch is through donations. Donations are quite similar to bits, and they essentially achieve the same purpose of supporting a creator, but they have two very different mechanisms of action. Bits, on the one hand, are a third-party digital currency that you exchange for cash, while donations are direct 1 to 1 payments made to the creator. From a streamer perspective, this means that you don't have to worry about reaching the payout threshold since donations aren't held in your Twitch account like the rest of your earnings, but instead, they go directly into your connected bank account. However, before you can do any of this and start earning money on the platform, you first need to become an official Twitch partner, which means you need to meet the following requirements:
- Have at least 7 unique broadcast days in the last 30 days
- Have at least 500 total minutes broadcast in the last 30 days
- Have an average of 3 concurrent viewers or more over the last 30 days
- Have at least 50 Followers
Once you've checked these boxes, you will be declared an official Twitch partner and be allowed to start earning money on the platform. As you begin your content creator journey, you might notice that earning money on Twitch is not the impossible dream you once thought it would be. Instead, it's an achievable goal made easy by the platform's emphasis on supporting the growth and development of small streaming channels. Ultimately, it comes down to your expectations and what you're hoping to get out of your Twitch pursuit. If you want to look at it as a full-time job, then you have to be ready to face the truth, which is: you're at the bottom of the pecking order, and you're competing for the attention of viewers who are reluctant to watch anything that isn't from one of their favourite creators. As a profession, content creation is highly competitive and cutthroat, but as a side hustle or a hobby, it can simply be a fun and creative way to make extra cash.
Become a YouTuber
Content creators have been playing video games and making gaming content since YouTube first launched the platform in 2005. Historically, there has always been a link between YouTube and gaming, with some OG YouTube stars such as KSI and Pewdipie building empires off the back of their early video-game-content days. Today, video games are a staple genre in the YouTube community and make up a large bulk of the content on the platform.
Call of Duty has always been a fan favorite on YouTube, probably because of the frantic, fast-paced nature of the game and the hilarious rage clips that come from those who play it. Some of the most successful YouTubers, such as Nickmercs and Ninja, are notorious for their larger-than-life persona and incredible mechanical skill when it comes to playing shooters, such as Call of Duty. And now, with the climbing popularity of battle royale games and Warzone in particular, COD YouTubers are understandably on the rise. That’s why 2024 is the perfect year to take a crack at becoming the next YouTube COD sensation.
As we touched on before, the best gaming YouTubers are the ones who manage to combine a perfect mix of charismatic personality with raw mechanical skill. You will often find content creators with a captivating persona but not the innate gaming skill, and sometimes it’s the reverse. And then there are the one in a million that have both traits and are destined for YouTube greatness. The main challenge as an amateur creator is to separate yourself from the masses of mediocre YouTubers and release unique content. One way to do that is to make content that focuses on specific elements of a game. Concentrating on a specific topic in a game or basing your entire channel on one element allows you to tap into niche followings and grow a smaller but more loyal fanbase. For Warzone 2, this could mean making videos on any of these subjects:
- New Map Locations
- Best Loadouts
- Gun Reviews
- Attachment guides
- Season Reviews
- Speculation on Future Seasons
These are popular video ideas for Warzone 2 content, but you can make videos about anything that you find interesting in the game and that you think has potential. Once you have come up with a couple of solid ideas and a clear vision for your channel, it's up to you to start grinding to earn the sponsorships and ad deals that will bring revenue to your channel. Just like on Twitch, you first need to be an official partner of the platform before it’s possible to earn money. Fortunately, becoming a YouTube partner is quite simple and only takes a couple of steps:
- Acquire more than 1,000 subscribers
- Get more than 4,000 public watch hours in the last 12 months
- Have a linked Adsense account
- Comply with all the guidelines and policies of the YouTube Partner Program
When your channel is big enough, companies seek you out to advertise their products or sponsor you. Usually, they offer to pay you either once in bulk or in installments to feature their products in your videos. Often, this comes with an added conversion bonus which rewards the creator with a small commission every time one of their subscribers buys the sponsored product or signs up on an affiliate link. In the beginning, you’ll most likely struggle to find anyone willing to sponsor your channel. But as you become a confident creator and your subscriber count rises, you’ll encounter more sponsorship opportunities. For most YouTubers, clinching that elusive long-term sponsorship is the final goal of building a YouTube career because that’s where you take home the big bucks. But, to re-emphasize, this doesn’t just happen overnight. It takes a committed mindset and a step-by-step approach to get to where you want to be and have a sponsored YouTube channel.
Become an Esports Player
This option is only possible for a tiny talented minority which is why we don’t think it deserves much attention. But if you have the skills to pull it off, then it’s worth it. The pro gaming scene can offer you a stable and well-paying career doing what you love and competing at the highest level. Salaries for the average COD Esports player range from around 20-30k per year, while top championship-winning players can earn up to 3 or 4 times that amount.
However, looking at the bigger picture, most Esports players will earn more from Twitch revenue and tournament earnings than from their professional contracts. Recently the balance has tipped even further in favor of non-contract income. One reason for this change is Twitch’s decision to start live-streaming all the major Esport events, effectively bringing competitive gaming back into the global spotlight. Esports tournaments are now sponsored by some of the largest multi-billion dollar corporations in the world, including Coca-cola, VISA, and Disney. From a player side, the increased popularity translates to more views on your own channels and a fast track to massive sponsorship deals if you perform on the biggest stages.
Obviously, signing for any COD Esports team is a challenging feat. Going pro-playing video games is much like trying to go pro in any athletic division. To start, you need a base level of skill higher than 98% of other people’s, and then more significantly, you need to be committed to the grind. Practice separates great players from the pros we see on Twitch competing in tournaments and playing for a living. To be one of those pros, you need to practice every day, sometimes for 8-10 hours straight, and focus on proving yourself in big public tournaments such as the Warzone World Series. Winning and regularly performing well in these high-status competitions is the best way to draw attention to yourself and get scouted by a professional Esports organization.
Make Money Betting on Call of Duty Esports
You dont have to be a professional Call of Duty player to make money you can also earn some income by betting on the pros. Making money through betting on Call of Duty requires a strategic approach, careful analysis, and an understanding of both the game and the betting landscape.
First and foremost, it's crucial to research and stay informed about the professional Call of Duty scene, including team rosters, recent performance, and any relevant changes. Keep track of player statistics, team dynamics, and the overall meta of the game. Next, explore different betting markets, such as match winners, map winners, and specific in-game events. Diversifying your bets can help manage risks and optimize potential returns. Additionally, consider leveraging promotions and bonuses offered by betting platforms to maximize your initial investment. It's essential to set a budget and adhere to responsible gambling practices, avoiding impulsive decisions and chasing losses. Utilize live betting options to adjust your strategy based on in-game developments.
Having spent considerable time betting on Call of Duty, I've gathered practical insights into the game's competitive aspects and the nuances of esports betting. I've compiled a straightforward list of reliable bookmakers for COD betting, focusing on competitive odds, diverse markets, user-friendly interfaces, and dependable payment methods.
Lastly, stay disciplined, continuously refine your approach based on outcomes and trends, and recognize that success in betting on Call of Duty, like any form of gambling, involves a combination of skill, knowledge, and a bit of luck.
Work as a Videogame Journalist
Another way to take your love for COD Warzone into the professional realm is by becoming a video game journalist. As an entry-level video game journalist with a focus on Warzone and other battle royale titles, you would earn an average of 25k a year. This salary can seem lackluster compared to the other options on this list, but it makes up for it by being the most stable and accessible path out of the lot. You don’t have to be an Esports prodigy or create a crazed eccentric online persona. Instead, you just have to rely on your intuition and writing skills. Simplicity is at the heart of what makes video game journalism so alluring. For someone passionate about video games, there should be nothing better than your ‘job’ essentially being a forum to express your opinions and talk at length about your favorite topic.
Make Money Playing Call of Duty on Skill Gaming Sites
And last but not least is the option of playing Warzone for money on skill gaming sites. As we mentioned, skill gaming sites are places where gamers can play their favorite online video games and compete against others to win money. The chances are you won’t win ridiculous money playing on these sites, but as a side hustle, they’re a lively way to make a fast buck. Undoubtedly, skill gaming sites are the easiest way to make money playing Warzone. Anyone can play on these platforms. You don’t need to be a pro, you don’t need a degree, and you don’t need to practice five times a week. The flexibility of playing on these sites makes them so appealing to players across the globe. With a simple three-step process, you can register your account, deposit funds, and start playing Warzone matches for money.
Our priority at Game Champions is always to offer users an easy and entertaining skill gaming experience. Our site connects you to a giant online community filled with like-minded gamers that love playing Warzone and challenging one another for the ultimate prize. At Game Champions, you choose how you want to play. Compete against random online opponents or seek to challenge your friends in 1v1 matches.
If you’re worried about competing against others and facing skilled opponents, then we have the perfect mode for you. Uplay is our signature game mode that allows Warzone players to bet on their own results. This system works through a complex AI-driven algorithm that uses past match history and your ranking on our platform to come up with odds for different elimination targets. Uplay emphasizes independent gameplay and freedom. With this mode, you are completely free to set your own targets. Feeling confident off the back of a crazy kill streak, you can bet that you will get 6 or more kills in the next match. And what if you’re in a dry spell and struggling to land shots? That’s fine. You can easily go for one of the lower targets, such as 2 or more eliminations. Uplay gives the player unprecedented freedom and allows him to tailor his bets accurately to his liking. So what are you waiting for? Take control of your winnings with Uplay and become a skill-gaming champion.