Top 10 Esports Players – August 2019

Top 10 Esports Players with the Highest Social Interactions Among Fans

Esports, undoubtedly, needs more love and attention from brands. Many marketers are unfamiliar with the territory as, unlike many traditional sports, these games have only existed for a few decades if that, with the first-ever video game competition taking place in 1972 with the game Spacewar. The world of esports has grown considerably since then, taking place in stadiums all over the world. From Brett Hoffman, better known as Dakotaz, with 9.5M interactions to the well-known NICKMERCS, or Nick Kolcheff, with 1.5M, here are Hookit’s top ten esports players with the highest social interactions among fans, for the month of August. Social media interactions and views across YouTube and Twitch were not considered.

Coming in at Number One, the Illusive Dakotaz

For someone who isn’t too fond of the spotlight, Dakotaz takes the number one spot of the month with a whopping 9.5M interactions across his social channels. Traditional sports athletes are constantly in the spotlight – on the field or television or on social media. Esports athletes, on the other hand, often have a choice in the matter. Their sport doesn’t require the same sort of intimacy, and Dakotaz, in his videos, often uses an icon of a wolf. One video back in 2018 on Instagram is a rare example of him taking the opportunity to thank his fans and show his face. He is sponsored by G FUEL, and makes sure to do a good job promoting them, such as with this post, which has 44.8k likes and over 300 comments. His top post however blows those numbers out of the water, with 363.5k likes on it alone.

Daequan Up Six Spots to Number Six

Daequan’s top post of the month was a simple post announcing his return to streaming. The post garnered 454.7k likes on Instagram. His promoted posts often feature G FUEL as well, the same as many esports athletes. He’s got promoting brands down pretty well, as his PE score is a solid 80, and he posts promoted images that feature the sponsor brand along with clear mentions.

Pokimane, the Lone Woman

Making her stand in the number three spot, Pokimane, whose real name is Imane Anys, is the only female in the top ten. Despite being the lone woman, she rules the roost along with the others in the top three with an impressive 5.6M interactions. Playful and funny, she is one of the top Twitch streamers out there. She promotes her sponsors well through posts like this one (her second-best post of the month with 729.9k likes) that feature clear brand product and mentions. She is sponsored by Adidas.

The Wrap-Up

Esports, despite being a lesser-known industry, is growing and changing month to month. Interactions of the sport are skyrocketing, and it’s guaranteed that what used to be a small group of enthusiasts is going to continue to blow past the multi-million dollar industry that it is today. From Fortnite to Apex, and from streaming to the stadium, the opportunities are impossible to ignore. Hookit can identify the athletes who would make for good ambassadors, and guide brands within a market that’s ripe for the taking.

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Written by Katarina McCollough

Katarina is a Hookit Marketing Intern and an enthusiastic freelance/content writer freshly out of SDSU with a degree in English. She is interested in all sports, their social influence, as well as technical topics such as coding, but is especially knowledgeable on streamers and esports.

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