Groove Reveals How Much He Earned at Virtus.pro Early in His Career

Konstantin “Groove” Pikiner reported that in 2005, he earned just $200 a month despite being a Counter-Strike world champion.

“It was even tougher back in my day: 2005, I was the world champion, and my salary was $200. We were the first in the CIS to start receiving a salary at all. We had almost the highest salary for a long time—in 2007, it went up to $1,000.

People will say that the purchasing power of money was different back then. But still, the status: world No. 1—$200.”

It’s worth noting that in 2005, the esports player represented the Virtus.pro Counter-Strike roster, after which he transitioned to a coaching role the folowing year. According to Konstantin “Groove” Pikiner, in 2007 he began earning five times as much. The player acknowledged that his team was one of the first to be paid at all, but he still regrets earning such a small amount despite being the best player on the pro scene.