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Abstract Background Esports is competitive video gaming, performed within teams or individually, across multiple genres. Players are required to be sedentary for extended periods and require a high-level of cognitive skills for successful competitive performance. There are conflicting findings within the physical activity research in the esports industry. The aim of this research is to explore self-reported physical activity through accelerometer-assessed physical activity, to gain a better insight into the physical activity behaviours of international e’athletes. Method Participants (n = 796) across multiple popular esports games, holding any in-game rank, competing at any level, were recruited. The survey consisted of demographic details, esports experience, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Long Form (IPAQ-LF), and Behavioural Regulations towards Exercise Questionnaire (BREQ-3). Within a convenience sample, local intervarsity e’athletes (n = 18) were recruited to wear a wrist-worn accelerometer to measure physical activity for 7-days and then complete the survey. Results from the accelerometers were compared to the survey results to explore physical activity reporting within this population. Results When comparing IPAQ-LF to accelerometer data, players significantly over-report moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and weekly MET-min− 1 (p = .018, r = .63 and p ≤ .001, r = .92). The BREQ-3 showed that e’athletes categorised as high physical activity displayed significantly higher levels of intrinsic motivation, when compared to players categorised as low and moderate physical activity. Conclusions E’athletes significantly over report physical activity time when measured through the IPAQ-LF, suggesting previous surveys may overestimate physical activity and further research is needed. Given the exponential growth of the industry and the level of physical inactivity, esports may contribute to global physical inactivity levels.

This study aims to compare physical activity levels, esports-specific reaction times, self-evaluated health, and injuries between non-professional esports players (EPs) and non-players (NPs). Participants were healthy, with an average age of 22.7 ± 2.49 years and BMI of 25.5 ± 4.95 kg/m2. Physical activity was quantified using the Baecke Questionnaire, while reaction times were measured with computer games. The analysis reveals that EPs exhibit significantly lower levels of physical activity compared to NPs (p < 0.05), underscoring the sedentary nature of esports. Despite this, EPs demonstrate superior reaction times (p < 0.001), suggesting cognitive enhancements associated with esports participation. EPs report increased incidences of gameplay-related discomfort (p = 0.025), highlighting health drawbacks of prolonged gaming. However, no significant differences were observed in overall self-evaluated health statuses and specific pain complaints between the groups, indicating a complex relationship between esports involvement and perceived health outcomes. These findings suggest that esports can offer cognitive benefits through improved reaction times but are also associated with reduced physical activity and increased reporting of discomfort. This dichotomy underscores the need for strategies that capitalize on the cognitive advantages of esports while mitigating its physical health risks, encouraging a more balanced engagement with the activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In video gaming, tilt is thought to relate to poor emotional control and game performance. Despite widespread recognition of tilt in video gaming, there is a lack of research examining tilt empirically. Methods: One thousand and seven gamers took part in our online study examining gamers experience of tilt, the factors which contribute to and protect against tilt, and the emotion regulation strategies gamers employ to deal with tilt. Results: Gamers who reported playing for more competitive reasons, were at higher risk of experiencing tilt. Additional factors associated with an increased risk of experiencing tilt were increased anger and more hours spent playing. Protective factors against experiencing tilt were also identified, inclusive of a greater number of years gaming experience and engagement in adaptive emotion regulation strategies. Discussion: This study provides an important starting point for creating a better understanding of tilt in gaming, equipping us with new knowledge to better support gamers to improve their emotion regulation during game play performance [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Esports is competitive video gaming, performed within teams or individually, across multiple genres. Players are required to be sedentary for extended periods and require a high-level of cognitive skills for successful competitive performance. There are conflicting findings within the physical activity research in the esports industry. The aim of this research is to explore self-reported physical activity through accelerometer-assessed physical activity, to gain a better insight into the physical activity behaviours of international e'athletes. Method: Participants (n = 796) across multiple popular esports games, holding any in-game rank, competing at any level, were recruited. The survey consisted of demographic details, esports experience, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Long Form (IPAQ-LF), and Behavioural Regulations towards Exercise Questionnaire (BREQ-3). Within a convenience sample, local intervarsity e'athletes (n = 18) were recruited to wear a wrist-worn accelerometer to measure physical activity for 7-days and then complete the survey. Results from the accelerometers were compared to the survey results to explore physical activity reporting within this population. Results: When comparing IPAQ-LF to accelerometer data, players significantly over-report moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and weekly MET-min− 1 (p =.018, r =.63 and p ≤.001, r =.92). The BREQ-3 showed that e'athletes categorised as high physical activity displayed significantly higher levels of intrinsic motivation, when compared to players categorised as low and moderate physical activity. Conclusions: E'athletes significantly over report physical activity time when measured through the IPAQ-LF, suggesting previous surveys may overestimate physical activity and further research is needed. Given the exponential growth of the industry and the level of physical inactivity, esports may contribute to global physical inactivity levels. Key Points: Despite in-game rank not influencing physical activity time or motivation, higher levels of intrinsic motivation were associated with increased physical activity among e'athletes. This suggests the importance of fostering intrinsic motivation to promote sustained engagement in physical activity within esports communities. The study reveals concerning levels of sedentary behaviour among e'athletes, with implications for their overall health and well-being. Addressing sedentary behaviour and promoting light physical activity are crucial for mitigating associated health risks within the esports population. The study highlights significant disparities between self-reported physical activity data and accelerometer-assessed data among e'athletes, indicating potential over-estimation of physical activity levels when self-reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionIn video gaming, tilt is thought to relate to poor emotional control and game performance. Despite widespread recognition of tilt in video gaming, there is a lack of research examining tilt empirically.MethodsOne thousand and seven gamers took part in our online study examining gamers experience of tilt, the factors which contribute to and protect against tilt, and the emotion regulation strategies gamers employ to deal with tilt.ResultsGamers who reported playing for more competitive reasons, were at higher risk of experiencing tilt. Additional factors associated with an increased risk of experiencing tilt were increased anger and more hours spent playing. Protective factors against experiencing tilt were also identified, inclusive of a greater number of years gaming experience and engagement in adaptive emotion regulation strategies.DiscussionThis study provides an important starting point for creating a better understanding of tilt in gaming, equipping us with new knowledge to better support gamers to improve their emotion regulation during game play performance

Collegiate esports is a rapidly growing entity that is managed differently across campuses, with oversight taking place in athletic departments, campus recreation departments, student affairs, and to a lesser degree, academic departments. Esports has the potential to support the recruitment and retention of students while supporting the academic mission of universities through co-curricular opportunities in a variety of subject areas. Despite the broad existence of peer-reviewed research debating the consideration of esports as a sport, limited research is available that asks esports participants if they view themselves as athletes. A total of 120 participants completed a survey instrument that included items from the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale-Plus and the Quality and Importance of Recreational Services instruments. From the collegiate esports players included in this research, we see a complex picture of student-athletes emerging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the role of callouts as a vital communicative and coordinating practice in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), a team-based networked first-person shooter (FPS) video game. Through callouts, players share relevant information regarding opponents’ locations and movements, contributing to a co-construction of a distributed knowledge of the game environment. By analyzing callouts as a coordinating device that is part of sequences of actions, this research delves into their significance in shaping the overall structural organization of activities in competitive CS:GO gameplay. The analysis also demonstrates the utility of ethnomethodological conversation analysis (EMCA) for understanding the communicative richness of social practices in team-based networked video games.

Shifting from a player-oriented approach, e-sports has increasingly positioned itself as emerging spectator entertainment. In the wake of the growing online viewer market, the industry has made tremendous efforts to innovate marketing strategies and build up a base of passionate fans across the globe. To augment this endeavor, the current study investigated push and pull factors that influence e-sports online viewers' consumption behaviors (N = 1,309) using partial least squares structural equation modeling. The authors proposed a new way to operationalize push and pull factors that have been relatively overlooked in the literature. The findings indicated that, while push and pull factors had different effects on e-sports consumption behaviors, they should be considered equally important in e-sports livestreaming. The study expanded our understanding of the attractiveness and desirability of e-sports and shed some critical light on management and marketing issues within and beyond the e-sports space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the proliferation of studies on esports, there is a lack of consensus as to as the precise definition of an esports player. Studies have used competitive gamers, casual gamers, or recreational gamers as samples, and this poses serious issues for the generalization of their results. The main goal of this review is to reach a definition as to what constitutes an esports player in order to establish a standard for future studies. This is accomplished by analyzing the various criteria that esports researchers have used to select their participants. Methods: This study is a systematic review of empirical articles. The international databases Web of Science, Scopus, Medline, SciELO, and SpringerLink were reviewed for articles in English and Spanish including the term esport or e-sport in the title, abstract or keywords, with samples reported as esports players. A total of 48 studies were selected for this review. Three types of defining criteria were identified: being a professional player, being part of an organized team and having experience in competitions. Additionally, “engagement ‘’, understood as the amount of time dedicated to training and improving, is also mentioned as a key distinguishing factor. Finally, a definition for esports players is proposed to help standardize the sampling criteria for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Esports is often described as a growing industry ripe with financial opportunities for young professional, competitive gamers. However, these claims rarely consider how income is distributed amongst players. This study uses prize earnings data from 2005 to 2019 to examine labor market inequality and related social inequalities and social stratifications. Lorenz curves and Gini coefficients show that inequality has increased in the labor market overall and the labor markets for the five top games based on total prizes awarded (Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Fortnite, League of Legends, StarCraft II). Competitors can expect to earn more today than in 2005, but median incomes have shown sporadic and inconsistent growth compared with top incomes. Moreover, most competitors earn less than the US poverty threshold. Comparing the earnings of the top female players to the whole labor market shows that gender inequalities exist in median incomes and the likelihood of earning more than the poverty threshold. The esports labor market is an engine of inequality that provides opportunities for a few (primarily male) competitors while building a growing class of lowly paid players who support the interests of game designers and event organizers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a systematic review of the international bibliography on mobile esports until September 2021. Its intent is to document the evolution, gaps and the first years of appropriation of this object by the academic community. The approach is guided by complementary mixed methodological procedures, aimed at the organization of knowledge and quali-quantitative in nature. The classification made for this study sought to gather the findings into blocks of analysis, firstly of bibliographic data, and then to build an epistemological/critical appreciation. Among the main results, the small volume of work on the mobile esports segment to date stands out. In the selected material, a low reflection on the subject predominates. Computing is the discipline that stands out, followed by Communication and Sports Sciences. (Este artigo desenvolve uma revisão sistemática da bibliografia internacional sobre esports móveis até setembro de 2021. Seu intuito é documentar a evolução, lacunas e os primeiros anos de apropriação deste objeto pela comunidade acadêmica. A abordagem é guiada por procedimentos metodológicos mistos complementares, voltados para a organização do conhecimento e de natureza quali-quantitativa. A classificação confeccionada para este estudo buscou reunir os achados em blocos de análises, primeiramente de dados bibliográficos para, em seguida, construir uma apreciação epistemológica/crítica. Entre os principais resultados, destaca-se o pequeno volume de trabalhos sobre o segmento de esports móveis até o momento. No material selecionado, predomina uma baixa reflexão sobre o assunto. Computação é a disciplina que se destaca, acompanhada da Comunicação e das Ciências do Esporte.)

The current study aimed to qualitatively investigate the perceived determinants of success in professional esports athletes. Guided by the bioecological model (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006), thematic analysis was used to explore elite esports athletes' perceptions of success determinants. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven elite esports athletes. The interviews were used to investigate players' psychology when playing well, training in elite esports, and working in esports teams. Deductive and inductive analyses were conducted to capture the core themes of success in esports within the bioecological model. When playing well, elite esports athletes experienced high levels of confidence, uninterrupted focus, and flow states. Elite esport athletes use mental strategies to help regulate their emotions and remain mindful in the presence of "tilt". Furthermore, breathing techniques and tactical breaks were used when players felt nervous or when trying to "reset" from a stressful situation. When working in elite esport teams, players reported using strategies to improve team cohesion and that the biggest challenge was interpersonal disagreements. The results contribute to the growing body of literature highlighting the psychological similarities between elite esports and traditional sports athletes and serve as an index for future research into high-performance in esports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electronic sports, cybersports, gaming, competitive computer gaming, and virtual sports are all synonyms for the term eSports. Regardless of the term used, eSports is now becoming more accepted as a sport and gamers are being identified as athletes within society today. eSports has even infiltrated higher education in the form of an intercollegiate athletic sport, as two university athletic departments have made eSports an official varsity sport where scholarships are provided to collegiate eSports athletes. Thus, the intertwining of eSports and university athletics brings into question whether eSports should be considered sport by broader society. This article provides a brief history of eSports, a further developed definition of eSports, and a comparison of eSports to traditional philosophical and sociological definitions of sport. The purpose of this article is to provoke thought on the academically accepted definitions of sport and debate whether eSports should be considered a sport. Attention will be given to the following components of sport: play, organization, competition, skill, physicality, broad following, and institutionalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Burnout among esports players is a serious issue affecting competitive and professional players. The present study investigated the relationship between resilience, coping, and burnout among esports players using network analysis. Esports players (N = 453; M age = 23.0 years, SD = 4.18; in the top 40% of in-game rank) who competed in one of seven popular team-based esports completed the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10), Coping Functions Questionnaire (CFQ; assessing problem-focused, emotion-focused, and avoidance coping), and Athlete Burnout Scale (ABO-S; assessing a reduced sense of accomplishment, physical exhaustion, and negative feelings towards esport). Responses were assessed with Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator regularised partial correlations (EBICglasso). Findings showed a distinct network of resilience factors, coping skills, and symptoms of burnout. More specifically, resilience factors were negatively associated with symptoms of burnout and positively associated with problem-focused, emotion-focused, and avoidance coping. Problem-focused coping had a strong expected influence on the network and was positively associated with multiple resilience factors. Moreover, avoidance coping had a strong influence on the network but was positively associated with multiple symptoms of burnout. Finally, a reduced sense of accomplishment (burnout) was negatively associated with multiple resilience factors and positively associated with avoidance coping. The combined results of the present study suggest that resilience and coping are important factors for understanding burnout among esports players. • This is the first paper to use a Network Analysis to explore burnout, resilience, and coping among esports players. • Resilience factors were negatively associated with symptoms of burnout. • Resilience factors were positively associated with problem-focused coping. • Avoidance coping was positively associated with symptoms of burnout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using historical narratives and a qualitative research approach, this article aims to understand how competitive gaming has established its relationship with sport and the Olympics in the past five decades, and further discusses the obstacles and challenges for esports' Olympic inclusion. In the 1970s and 1980s, game manufacturers and publishers, consciously or unconsciously, forged a link between video games, competition and sport. Beginning in the early 2000s, due to its overwhelming popularity, efforts have been made by various organisations to have esports accredited as a full sport. In recent years, sporting governing bodies have started to take esports seriously, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has made efforts to incorporate it into the Olympic movement. This article suggests that the IOC must adopt a more open-minded and inclusive approach in order to better understand the esports ecosystem and the young digital generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Competitive E-sport has grown rapidly across the globe. In line with the increase in competitive gaming, the interest into the science underpinning performance has accelerated dramatically in the last decade. Despite the remarkable surge of popularity in E-sports, there is limited academic literature that has explicitly investigated the psychophysiological factors influencing performance of elite level E-sports during competitive gameplay. As E-sports athletes are competing in highly pressurized and competitive environments that are comparable to traditional sports, it is likely that psychophysiological responses exist in an E-sports performance environment. Therefore, it is important to enhance our understanding of these responses that E-sports participants face, because stress and anxiety is likely to have a negatively impact on performance in such an environment. The present review aims to investigate whether playing E-sports in competitive settings is related to psychological and physiological anxiety and stress. Although the existing literature contributes to an initial understanding of psychophysiological anxiety and stress in E-sports, there needs to be further in-depth studies investigating the psychophysiological responses in actual competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines a terrain in which gender inclusion remains a challenge: competitive esports. In the male-dominated sphere of esports, the underrepresentation of women and nonbinary people often leaves these marginalized groups invisible, with a significant lack of women and nonbinary people competing in top-tier tournaments. We highlight the experience of Wang 'BaiZe' Xinyu, a Chinese Hearthstone player who became the first woman to compete in a Hearthstone Championship Tour event in the game's 3-year history. The narrative surrounding BaiZe's participation largely focused on her gender and ignored the achievements that led her to qualify for the event. We argue that BaiZe's entrance to the championship scene was received negatively by both competitors and spectators, reinforcing barriers that exclude women and nonbinary people from entering this male-dominated space. The discrimination faced by these esports competitors reinforces sexism inherent not only in Hearthstone but also in esports in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Competitive organized electronic video gaming, termed “esports,” has become an international industry. The physiological and cognitive health results of prolonged esport practice and competition have not been adequately studied. The current study examined physiological and cognitive changes after a session of esport gameplay for two types of games, first-person shooter and multiplayer online battle arena games. Increases in systolic blood pressure, increases in speed, and decreases in accuracy and inhibitory processes were found for esport gamers overall. For peak heart rate change, first-person shooter games elicited a larger change than did multiplayer online battle arena games. These results have implications for the management of esport player cognitive and physical health as well as for the optimization of performance in competitive esport tournaments.

Competitive organized electronic video gaming, termed "esports," has become an international industry. The physiological and cognitive health results of prolonged esport practice and competition have not been adequately studied. The current study examined physiological and cognitive changes after a session of esport gameplay for two types of games, first-person shooter and multiplayer online battle arena games. Increases in systolic blood pressure, increases in speed, and decreases in accuracy and inhibitory processes were found for esport gamers overall. For peak heart rate change, first-person shooter games elicited a larger change than did multiplayer online battle arena games. These results have implications for the management of esport player cognitive and physical health as well as for the optimization of performance in competitive esport tournaments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accompanying esports' explosion in popularity, the amount of academic research focused on organized, competitive gaming has grown rapidly. From 2002 through March 2018, esports research has developed from nonexistent into a field of study spread across seven academic disciplines. We review work in business, sports science, cognitive science, informatics, law, media studies, and sociology to understand the current state of academic research of esports and to identify convergent research questions, findings, and trends across fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to develop, and pilot esports-adapted coping effectiveness training (E-CET) and measure its influence on coping effectiveness (global and specific), subjective performance, mental health (psychological distress and wellbeing), and resilience. Five elite male League of Legends players competing in the League of Legends Circuit Oceania participated in a mixed methods research design. The effects of E-CET were measured using a within-subjects quasi-experimental design (i.e., pre-to-post, no control group). To measure the effects of E-CET on specific stressors, a longitudinal diary design was used. Players participated in a 2-h session of E-CET and a 45-min follow-up workshop. The 2-h workshop delivered content on two conceptual areas: (1) developing awareness of the stress and coping process; and (2) how to cope with stress. Players completed pre-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up measures and twice-weekly stress journals. E-CET led to increases in players' perceived coping effectiveness and subjective performance, but there were no changes in psychological distress, psychological wellbeing, and resilience. However, the results indicate some positive signs for future coping interventions with League of Legends players and iterations of E-CET. The E-CET program appears to provide an opportunity to improve performance and mental health for esports players. • E-CET positively influences coping effectiveness and in-game performance. • Future iterations of E-CET could positively influence player mental healt. • Online interventions with survey and diary measurements appear feasible in esports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heart rate variability (HRV) is a psychophysiological measure of particular interest in esports due to its potential to monitor player self-regulation. This study aimed to systematically review the utilisation of HRV in esports. Consideration was given to the methodological and theoretical underpinnings of previous works to provide recommendations for future research. The protocol was made available on the Open Science Framework. Inclusion criteria were empirical studies, examining HRV in esports, using esports players, published in English. Exclusion criteria were non-peer-reviewed studies, populations with pre-existing clinical illness other than Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD), opinion pieces or review papers. In November 2022 a search of Web of Science, PubMed, and EBSCOHost identified seven studies using HRV in esports. Risk of bias was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Narrative review identified two primary uses of HRV in esports; stress response and IGD. A lack of theoretical and methodological underpinning was identified as a major limitation of current literature. Further investigation is necessary before making recommendations regarding the use of HRV in esports. Future research should employ sound theoretical underpinning such as the use of vagally mediated HRV and the robust application of supporting methodological guidelines when investigating HRV in esports. [Display omitted] • Two key uses in esports were identified as Internet Gaming Disorder and stress. • Heart rate variability research in esports is lacking theory and robust methodology. • Heart rate variability research issues in esports are consistent with other sports. • Researchers should consider the use of vagally mediated heart rate variability. • Robust and informed investigation of heart rate variability in esports is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The competitive practice of videogames, known as electronic sports, has changed the traditional entertainment consumption scenario associated with games, creating a new kind of show business with several specific features. This article aims to introduce a holistic view of this new phenomenon, delimiting its socio-economic ecosystem and identifying the actors and relationship characteristics of its dynamic. This model of analysis allows us to take a general perspective of every actor role within the industry. Our research focuses on the new business models, the spectacularization of the eSports industry and the relationship between videogame and user. Finally, this article attends to the emerging issues, challenges and traditional game industry disruptions related to the mobile devices, game distribution platforms and the prosumer identity of the gamer in the digital society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electronic sports (e-sports) represents an increasingly popular and profitable array of organizations, communities, and sets of practices, all of which place tremendous value on audiences; for example, playing games competitively, in front of a crowd, represents the legitimization of gaming as spectator sport. This article reports on an audiovisual ethnography of a community of competitive gamers for whom the video camera became not so much a research tool but a promotional resource. Examining the transformations the camera enacted, both to the practice of ethnographic fieldwork and to participants’ embodied performances of competitive gaming, this article explores the central role played by recording technologies in the production of e-sports. It concludes by considering some of the intersections of surveillance, gaming, and emergent leisure practices – including the use of digital recording technologies to collect social scientific data, at a time when watching and being watched is increasingly pervasive, pleasurable, and problematic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study aimed to longitudinally examine the stressors, stress appraisal, coping, and coping effectiveness experienced by elite esports athletes. Six elite male League of Legends (LoL) athletes, competing in the Oceanic Challenger Series (OCS), completed diaries over the 2020 competitive season (87 days). Athletes completed weekly diaries after three events: solo training, team training, and competitive matches. Each diary collected data on the stressors experienced, stressor intensity and threat/challenge perception (appraisal), coping strategies used, and perceived coping effectiveness. General performance, outcome, critical moment performance, and teammate mistakes accounted for 55% of the stressors reported. More stressors were reported in competitive diaries than in training diaries. Competitive stressors were rated as being more intense than training stressors. There were no differences in overall challenge and threat perception, but performance stressors were more likely to be perceived as a challenge, and teammate stressors were more likely to be perceived as a threat. Problem-focused coping (PFC) was the most frequently employed coping strategy. PFC and emotion-focused coping (EFC) strategies were perceived as more effective at reducing stress than avoidance coping (AC). Elite LoL athletes experienced a small number of reoccurring stressors over an 87-day competitive period. Athletes reported more stressors around competitive matches and perceived competitive stressors as more intense than team and solo training stressors. Similarly to traditional sports athletes, PFC strategies were the most frequently employed and, PFC and EFC were rated as being more effective than AC. • Elite LoL athletes experience a small number of recurring stressors that account for the majority of stressors experienced. • Elite LoL athletes, when coping with stressors, rated PFC and EFC strategies as being more effective than AC strategies. • A coping effectiveness training program adapted for esports could improve player wellbeing and in-game performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]