How to make money playing games? What are the ways to earn money by playing games? This is an area that many people are interested in but can easily be misled. A detailed practical guide of around 6000 words. Today,Online earning alliance(en. wangzhuan. org. cn) brings “How to make money by pulling new products? How to make money by pulling new products through the Internet”. I hope it is helpful to everyone.

This article includes practical exercises such as:

• ✅  8 Ways to Make Money from Games(Professional players, game anchors, game testing, training, game content creation, prop trading, game playmates, game development assistance)
• ✅  Real profit data for each method(Actual Cases from 2025 to 2026)
• ✅  risk assessment(Health issues, legal risks, platform rules)
• ✅  Beginner’s Entry Path(Practical Steps from 0 to Monthly Income of 10000)
• ✅  Trend forecast for 2026

Complete Guide to Making Money by Playing Games (2026 Practical Edition)

1、 Introduction: What is “making money by playing games”?

definition:throughplay games(Not ‘making games’) to earn income, the core isMonetize game skills/time/resources.The difference between “making money by playing games”:

⚠️ Important statement (mandatory):

1. This article does not encourage ‘gaming addiction’(Health>earning money)
2. All profit data are real casesButIt doesn’t mean you can do it too
3. Game practice and prop trading may violate game rulesThere is a risk of account suspension
4. If you are a student/young personIt is recommended to complete your studies first before considering “earning money through games”

2、 Detailed Explanation of 8 Types of Game Making Methods

Method 1: Professional esports players (with the highest ceiling but extremely high threshold)

💡 definition:You joinprofessional team, participateeSports competition(League of Legends, Honor of Kings, DOTA2, etc.), earnBonus+salary+endorsement.📋 Common esports projects:

👤 Suitable for:

• Extremely high gaming talent(Top 0.01% of server rankings)
• Age range: 16-22 years old(Golden Period for Professional Players)
• Capable of withstanding high voltage(10-12 hours of training per day)
• team spiritEsports is a team sport

💰 Profit structure:

Professional player income=team salary+competition bonus share+endorsement/live streaming income

📈 Real income data (2025):

💡 Case breakdown:

Case: Xiao K (a professional player of Honor of Kings with an annual income of over 1.5 million)

• background20 years old, playing in the field, ranked in the top 10 of the King of Glory peak tournament
• Team:A certain KPL club
• Income structure:
• Team salary:800000 yuan/year
• Competition bonus distribution:500000 yuan/year(Champion of KPL Autumn 2025)
• Live streaming+endorsement:200,000 per year
• Annual total revenue: 1.5 million RMB
• Working hours:Train for 10 hours every day (2pm -12am)
• Occupational lifespan:Usually retire at the age of 25 (with a decrease in reaction speed)
• Key success factors:

1. talent(Hand speed, consciousness, and reaction speed are all top-notch)
2. effort(Train for 10 hours every day, persist for 3 years)
3. luck(Encountering good teams and teammates)

⚠️ Risk points:

1. Short career lifespan(Retired after the age of 25)
2. Injury risk(Wrist, lumbar spine, eyes)
3. fierce competition(There are only about 500 professional athlete spots nationwide)
4. Lost after retirement(Apart from playing games, there are no other skills)

🛡️ Avoiding pitfalls guide:

1. Don’t give up on your studies(It’s best to pursue a career while studying)
2. Developing secondary skills(Live streaming, commentary, coaching)
3. financial management(High income during career, but preparation for retirement is necessary)

Method 2: Game streamer (the most suitable way for ordinary people to earn money through games)

💡 definition:youlive streaming platform(Tiktok, Station B, Tiger Teeth, Fighting Fish) Play the game live to earnGift giving, advertising, and sales promotionIncome.📋 Common live streaming platforms:

👤 Suitable for:

• Play the game well(At least one game is played well)
• Has entertainment ability(Can chat, laugh, and interact)
• can persist(There may be no audience in the early stage, so we need to persist for 3-6 months)
• Capable of withstanding pressure(Being blacklisted and sprayed is the norm)

💰 Revenue model:Anchor income=Gift and reward sharing+Advertising cooperation+Game promotion+Platform incentive plan📈 Real income data (2025):

💡 Case breakdown:

Case 1: Xiao M (League of Legends anchor, monthly income of 80000 to 120000 yuan)

• background26 years old, former professional player, now doing live streaming
• Platform:Station B+Tiktok
• Live content:League of Legends qualifying+teaching
• Number of fans:300000 yuan for station B, 500000 yuan for Tiktok
• Income structure:
• Gift Reward:30000 yuan/month(Station B+Tiktok)
• Advertising cooperation:50000 yuan/month(peripherals, snacks, games)
• Game sales:20000 yuan/month(Game account, equipment)
• Platform incentives:10000 yuan/month(Bilibili Creation Incentive)
• Monthly total income: 110000 yuan
• Working hours:Live streaming for 6 hours every day (7pm -12pm)
• Key success factors:

1. Good technology(Former professional player, operation show)
2. Can teach(Not just playing games, but also explaining ideas)
3. Someone is set up(Style of “sharp tongue but sincere”)

Case 2: Xiao N (a simulation game anchor with a monthly income of 20000 to 30000 yuan)

• background22 years old, loves playing “The Sims” and “City Skylines”
• Platform:Bilibili
• Live content:Simulated management game+strategy sharing
• Number of fans:80000 yuan for Bilibili
• Income structure:
• Gift Reward:5000 yuan/month
• Advertising cooperation:10000 yuan/month(Computer configuration, peripherals)
• Game sales:5000 yuan/month(Game activation code, DLC)
• Monthly total income: 20000 yuan
• Key success factors:

1. niche field(Simulation business game with low competition)
2. practical content(Viewers can learn ‘urban planning skills’)
3. Update stability(Live streaming 5 days a week)

⚠️ Risk points:

1. unstable traffic(1000 people watching today, maybe 100 people tomorrow)
2. health risk(Sitting for long periods of time, staying up late)
3. Changes in platform rules(The algorithm of Tiktok is changed, and the traffic may be cut back)
4. fierce competition(Thousands of new anchors join every day)

🛡️ Avoiding pitfalls guide:

1. Don’t just do live streaming(Synchronize short videos, write strategies, and distribute through multiple channels)
2. Establish a private domain(Guide the audience to WeChat/QQ group)
3. protect the body(Buy ergonomic chairs and take regular breaks)

Method 3: Game Testing/QA (the most underestimated way to earn money by playing games)

💡 definition:You help the game companyTest game bugs(lagging, crashing, abnormal values), charged based on the number/quality of bugs.📋 Common testing requirements:

• functional testing(Button cannot be clicked, task cannot be completed)
• numerical test(Equipment attribute error, damage calculation error)
• Compatibility testingCan different phones/computers run
• stress test(Will the server crash if 10000 people go online at the same time?)
• Localization testing (Translation errors, culturally sensitive content)

👤 Suitable for:

• careful and patient(Can repeatedly test the same level)
• Can write a report(Bugs need to be described clearly before development can fix them)
• Understand the game(Knowing “what is a bug” and “what is a normal mechanism”)
• Can accept repetition(Maybe test a function 50 times)

💰 Revenue model:

📈 Real income data (2025):

💡 Case breakdown:

Case: Xiao P (Game Testing Engineer, Monthly Income of 15000 to 25000 RMB)

• background28 years old, former player, now doing game testing
• Working method:Remote part-time work (4-6 hours per day)
• Cooperative company:3 small and medium-sized gaming companies
• Monthly income:On average, 20000 yuan
• Working mode:
• Monday to Friday: Test the new version and submit bug reports
• Weekend: Regression testing (verifying bugs fixed by development)
• Key success factors:

1. careful(Can detect bugs that are “deeply hidden”)
2. Can write a report(Bug description is clear, development can reproduce it)
3. Understand game design(Can determine whether this is a bug or intentional design)

⚠️ Risk points:

1. The project is unstable(Game companies may disband testing teams after completing a project)
2. Repetitive and boring(Testing a level 50 times will make you doubt your life)
3. Low career ceilingIt is difficult for a test engineer to become a game planner/producer

🛡️ Avoiding pitfalls guide:

1. Simultaneously collaborating with multiple companies(Don’t rely solely on one customer)
2. learn programming(Proficient in Python/Shell, able to write automated testing scripts, doubled salary)
3. job transfer(Testing → Planning → Producer, it is possible)

Method 4: Game training/Gold making (with the lowest threshold, but the most tiring)

💡 definition:You help othersUpgrade account, rank, and upgrade equipmentCharge by order.📋 Common training needs:

👤 Suitable for:

• I played the game very well(At least the top 1% of a game server)
• have time(Training on behalf of others takes a lot of time, maybe 10 hours a day)
• Can endure hardship(Proxy training is “physical labor”, not “playing games”)
• honest(Don’t take the customer account and run away)

💰 Income range:

💡 Case breakdown:

Case: Xiao Q (King of Glory training agent, monthly income of 10000-15000 yuan)

• backgroundAt the age of 19, scored 1500 points in the King of Glory Peak Tournament
• Order taking platform:Dailian Tong, Taobao Dailian Store
• Training content:Help clients transition from diamonds to stars/kings
• Unit priceDiamond → Star Shine: 300 yuan; Star Shine → King: 800 yuan
• Monthly average orders received:15-20 orders
• Monthly income:An average of 12000 yuan
• Working hours:8-10 hours per day
• Key success factors:

1. Good technology(Can steadily increase scores without losing points)
2. fast speed(If someone plays 10 games, he can advance by playing 6 games)
3. Good reputation(No account suspension, no customer account input)

⚠️ Risk points:

1. Violation of game rules(Almost all games prohibit proxy training, with a probability of account suspension>30%)
2. health riskPlaying games for 10 hours a day may cause wrist and eye problems
3. Account security risks(Customer account may be banned, you need to compensate)
4. Seasonal fluctuations(There are more orders during winter and summer vacations, and fewer orders during regular times)

🛡️ Avoiding pitfalls guide:

1. Don’t use cheats(Manual proxy training to reduce the risk of account suspension)
2. sign an agreement(Note “No compensation for account suspension” and “No compensation for account loss”)
3. Don’t all in(Proxy training is a ‘youth meal’, we should transform early)

Next article《How to earn money by playing games? What are the profitable online games in 2026: Part 2》.