Published
07/30/2026, 17:40Since the start of 2026, teams featuring players from Kyrgyzstan have won around $369,200 in prize money at esports tournaments (just over 32.3 million KGS at the current exchange rate). These figures were provided to *Akchabar* by the Kyrgyzstan Computer Sports Federation.
Dota 2 was the main source of prize money. This discipline accounted for $221,000, or almost 60 per cent of the total. Teams featuring Kyrgyz players earned a further $97,980 at PUBG Mobile tournaments.
Valorant took third place with $35,810. This was followed by:
Thus, Dota 2 and PUBG Mobile alone accounted for over 86 per cent of all recorded prize money. If Valorant is included, the share of the top three disciplines exceeds 96 per cent.
The largest figure in the database belongs to Bakyt Emilzhanov, known by the nickname Zayac. The teams he played for earned a total of $190,000 across three tournaments. Of this, $150,000 came from BLAST Slam VI in Malta.
A further $31,000 is linked to the performances of Kyalbek Tayirov (formerly known as Kami, now playing under the nickname Dream) in Dota 2. Among players in other disciplines, Törögul Baidildaev (Alym) in Valorant stands out with $35,000, as do the PUBG Mobile players Ulan Talantbek Uulu (Ayato), Bekniyaz Rysaliev (Effect) and Baitur Kurmanbekov (Zerych).
However, these figures should not be regarded as the players’ personal earnings. The statistics reflect the total prize money won by the team for which the esports player competed. It is difficult to determine exactly how much money went to a specific player, as the distribution terms vary from team to team.
In some cases, prize money is divided amongst four or five players; in others, part of the money goes to coaches and team staff. The esports organisation may also retain its own share – ranging from 10% to 20%. Furthermore, taxes are deducted from the payments.
Even after the team prize money has been distributed, individual players’ personal earnings can amount to several thousand dollars. This shows that esports in Kyrgyzstan is gradually evolving from a hobby and sporting discipline into a viable source of income.
