Esports, which is the short form for Electronic Sports, is a form of competition using video games which can be watched live, or live streamed across the world. Esports can be played individually, or as a team. It first became popular in East Asia, but recently has gained popularity in Europe, America and even at our school. Esport athletes play many different games such as League of Legends, which is a multiplayer online battle arena and Dota 2, which is a fantasy, multiplayer online battle arena.
British Esport Federation
Even though its popularity has risen in England, the sport is still relatively new. Therefore, how do players receive training? The British Esports Federation is the national body for Esports in the UK. It was set up in March 2016 to develop the UK’s grassroots Esports scene and provide infrastructure for the future teaching of Esport. The training involves learning different types of movements, what different characters are good at, and strategies.
Classification as a Sport
Why is Esports classed as a sport? After all, surely, it is just people playing video games? It depends on the country. Different countries classify Esports differently. In Poland, it is classified as a sport, however in England it is not yet classified as a sport. Some people consider it a sport since it involves humans competing against each other, and there are some elements in Esports that are remarkably like traditional sports e.g. chess. This topic is known to be a controversial topic since many people have different opinions.
“Esports can be considered as a sporting activity, but it must not be infringed on the Olympic values”, this was said by the international Olympic committee on the 1st September 2021.
Legal Problems
Even though Esports may seem like an exciting and modern career, there are (like every other job) legal aspects. The most common one, that also happens in traditional sports, is gambling and drugs. Imagine you are watching an Esport game, and it is exciting or thrilling, and you might think it would be more fun if you bet on who will win. This is called gambling. This could pressurise the Esport athletes, and force them to cheat to ensure that they will, therefore ruining the fairness of the game. Just like traditional sport, Esport athletes might take drugs so that they can be their best during the game. These are called performance-enhancing drugs. If most Esport athletes use the drugs, it creates an unfair advantage for players who are competing fairly. The only thing we can do about that is set rules and give out sanctions to the rule breakers. For example, regular health checks to see if athletes are taking drugs. If they are, this results in a suspension from a game (or two), or other reasonable sanctions.
Esports also lacks an International governing body, which could be a reason these situations occur. Most organisations like the Global Esports Federation aim to centralize governance, but they lack recognition, and they do not focus on competitions. This fragmented way leads to inconsistencies, as some game developers regulate their own games, which can lead to perceived conflicts of interest. There are also problems to do with an athlete’s health, physically and mentally. This may be because Esports is a new industry, and is still developing, and the lack of recognition of the mental health challenges Esport athletes face, since people do not understand the stress and pressure that comes with competitive gaming.
Is Esports just “playing games”?
You may find Esports cool and futuristic, but there have been many worries as to whether it is an actual profession. Of course, most people born in the 21st century think of Esports as a job, however, those born in the 20th century might not think of it as an actual job since they have been brought up to think that way, and Esports did not exist until 1972. It was also still very new, and it would have taken some time for people to accept.
Many people think that Esports athletes are just ‘playing games’, but Esports is not just ‘playing games’, it is more than that; it is a mastery and competition. That is the difference between gaming and Esports. Many other sports have had a similar problem, like underwater rugby, which (like its name) is playing rugby underwater. Esport games are definitely for people who love suspense and pressure.
Esport athletes stare at a monitor while quickly moving their hands and quickly reacting. These games can be played individually or as team. It mostly depends on the type of game.
Esports at Home
While Esports is a very new sport, it has still managed to reach our school. Last term, Girls’ Division took part in the Esport Pilot Competition, which was supported by the British Esport Federation. The pupils that participated had a lovely time learning and competing.
Esports is an amazing profession if you love video games and competition. I do have hope that this profession will be normalised in the decades to come, and that we will venture in and normalise other professions as-well.
By Avni Shah
