When mentioning the LPL region, many people think of a playground for superstars with huge incomes. For instance, the TES team is said to have 5 players all reaching the salary cap in the LPL. Some information even reveals that just the taxes from TES could support some mid-tier teams in the LPL.
This leads many audiences to think that players or jobs related to the LPL are all “making a killing.” However, the shares from former player FenFen and most recently female commentator TongXi might make fans rethink. Specifically, FenFen recently shared that most regular players in the LPL only receive a salary of 10,000-30,000 RMB/month (about 34-100 million VND).
For commentators, this number is even lower as income depends on the number of matches they perform. “Our salary is calculated based on the number of matches conducted in the tournament. Each Bo3 match is paid 2,500 RMB (about 8.5 million VND), and the annual salary doesn’t reach 200,000 RMB (about 680 million VND). Therefore, the main income of commentators comes from streaming or business. I’ve worked hard for years and still can’t afford to buy a house in Shanghai,” female commentator TongXi revealed.
It is known that TongXi has pursued commentary since early 2019, and now has nearly 5 years of experience. She impresses audiences with her charming appearance and impressive knowledge of League of Legends. However, with such a low income, TongXi’s dream of having her own place in Shanghai still seems far away.
In 2023, there were several cases of commentators leaving their jobs to become streamers and achieving significant success. Caedrel is a prime example as he recently announced his departure from commentary to focus on co-streaming tournaments. Perhaps he realized that the commentator profession has too low of an income, prompting him to switch to full-time streaming.
Of course, if all commentators did this, tournaments would struggle to operate without these “passionate individuals.” Hopefully, in the future, the income of commentators will improve so they can continue to pursue their passion for League of Legends.