=Paper=
{{Paper
|id=Vol-3669/paper2
|storemode=property
|title=Perceptions of esports and esport athleticism among gamers
|pdfUrl=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-3669/paper2.pdf
|volume=Vol-3669
|authors=Radosław Trepanowski,Wu Li,Juho Hamari
|dblpUrl=https://dblp.org/rec/conf/gamifin/TrepanowskiLH24
}}
==Perceptions of esports and esport athleticism among gamers==
https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-3669/paper2.pdf
Perceptions of esports and esports athleticism among
gamers
Radosław Trepanowski1,2, Wu Li2 and Juho Hamari2
1 Faculty of Psychology and Cognitive Science; Adam Mickiewicz University, Wieniawskiego 1, Poznań, PL-61-712, Poland
2 Gamification Group, Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences; Tampere University; Kalevantie
4, Tampere, FI-33014, Finland
Abstract
Esports, both as a form of sport and a plausible, legitimate career path, face strongly polarized views,
providing a unique context for investigating the sense-making and perceptions of people across a variety
of cohorts in relation to this phenomenon. This study explores particularly how gamers, defined here as
individuals familiar with esports but not as athletes, perceive and make sense of esports and related
careers. We gathered qualitative data through an open-ended questionnaire among 156 participants
(83% male), representing 33 countries. The majority of participants were primarily situated in North
America and Europe. Thematic analysis revealed four major themes in the perceptions of esports:
Competitive Professional Gaming, Accessible and Inclusive Entertainment, Cultural Phenomenon and
Lifestyle, and Economic and Industry Dynamics. For esports athletic careers, five themes emerged:
Professionalism and Skill Development, Economic Viability and Livelihood, Instability and Sacrifice,
Public Perception and Legitimacy, and Diversity of Roles. Our findings, by offering insights from the
amateur perspective, extend existing research on esports and esports athletic careers. We highlight that
esports is not only seen as a competitive domain and a form of entertainment with great cultural impact
but also as an inclusive space and an industry with considerable economic potential. This study also
contributes to the understanding of esports as a legitimate and viable career choice and delineates
perceptions surrounding esports athletic careers. Finally, this study emphasizes the need for further
research to explore more diverse perspectives on esports, aiming to delineate more clearly the
distinction between professional and amateur esports athletes.
Keywords
Esports, career, athlete 1
Nintendo World Championship in 1990 in the United
States [5]. Since then, esports has grown into a 1394-
1. Introduction million-USD industry [6] encompassing electronic
games, technology, culture, sports, business, and
Electronic sports, also known as esports, have been media [7, 8]. This growth is highlighted by global
defined by the Olympic Council of Asia [1] as “a recognition from institutions such as the United
competitive sport where gamers use their physical and Nations and the European Union, both of which
mental abilities to compete in certain genres of video indicate that it can play an important role in
games in a virtual, electronic environment.” At the sustainable world development [9, 10]. The
39th OCA General Assembly [2], esports was International Olympic Committee's recognition of
confirmed as a medal sport at the 19th Asian Games in esports, evident in the organization of an Olympic
Hangzhou, where from September 24th to October Esports Week in June 2023 in Singapore [11], further
2nd, 2023, 488 esports athletes from 31 participating strengthens esports’ status as a sport.
countries competed for gold medals of 7 esports titles Given such widespread recognition, scientific
(e.g., League of Legends and DOTA 2). Tracing its roots interest in this field should not come as a surprise. In
back to the 1970s when the first amateur tournament fact, esports has been drawing researchers’ attention
occurred (e.g., [3, 4]) esports have come a long way. since the early 2000s, with the first attempt to define
One of the earliest official esports events was the esports tracking back to Wagner’s definition (2006)
claiming that “Esports is an area of sport activities in
18th International GamiFIN Conference 2024 (GamiFIN 2024), April
2-5, 2024, Ruka, Finland.
radtre@amu.edu.pl (R. Trepanowski); wu.li@tuni.fi (W. Li);
juho.hamari@tuni.fi (J. Hamari)
0000-0001-9304-427X (R. Trepanowski); 0009-0002-1506-8430
(W. Li); 0000-0002-6573-588X (J. Hamari)
© 2024 Copyright for this paper by its authors. The use permitted under
Creative Commons License Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
CEUR
ceur-ws.org
Workshop ISSN 1613-0073
Proceedings
10
which people develop and train mental or physical inept, childish, unattractive or simply couch potatoes
abilities in the use of information and communication [7, 19, 20], can also apply to esports athletes.
technologies” [12]. In a recent study, Formosa et al., Furthermore, stereotypes related to gender, race or
[13] analyzed 461 peer-reviewed papers with ethnicity can also influence the perception of esports
definitions of esports. The most-cited definition was and esports athletes. These, for instance, might include
proposed from the perspective of human-computer the notion that women are underskilled and less
interaction, where esports was described as “a new capable in esports (e.g. [21 - 23]) or in a broader
form of sport where the primary aspects of the sport perspective, less effective in stereotypically masculine
are facilitated by electronic systems; the input of tasks. Even more, in some cultures, gaming can be
players and teams as well as the output of the eSports perceived as a harmful, addictive and dangerous
system are mediated by human-computer interfaces” activity, as seen in the societal Chinese views [24, 25].
[14]. From their thematic analysis, Formosa et al. [13] All in all, despite this extensive knowledge, current
identified nine major dimensions of current esports research seems to lack empirical explorations showing
definitions: 1) competitive gaming, 2) leisure activity, how all this is reflected in the societal perceptions of
3) organized activity, 4) professionalism, 5) spectators esports. Although some studies on this topic have
and fans, 6) skills and training, 7) esports as an recently emerged [16 - 18], particularly those delving
extension of gaming, 8) esports as a sport item, 9) into the professional perspective, a substantial
gambling. Among those, competitive gaming, research gap persists.
organized activity, professionalism, and esports as a This issue also happens in another under-studied
sport were the most mentioned ones. area in esports – the esports athletic careers. Starting
This brings us to an important point. Often these from the mid-2010s, playing esports as a professional
ways of characterizing esports arise from theoretical has become a career option favored by the young
deliberations or the perceptions of scientists, not from generation [26 - 28]. This career path offers an
the members of the community or the professionals opportunity to earn social status [12, 29, 30] and make
themselves. Of course some exceptions to this do exist, a living from it via various types of revenue including
such as the work of Freeman and Wohn [15], which players’ contracts, prize money or sponsorship deals
explores the perspectives of both professional and [19, 31, 32]. However, many questions about this
amateur players, or the study conducted by Chang [16] career path remain unanswered. For instance, what is
on consumer perceptions of esports. In Chang’s study the journey from a casual gamer to a professional,
[16], participants predominantly described esports in what are the skills and efforts required in esports,
terms of entertainment, its proximity to traditional what are the risks and obstacles awaiting future
sports in terms of effort, and as a competitive activity esports players, and where to draw the line between
with both learning opportunities and potential health amateurs and professional esports athletes, are all
risks. One participant in the study asserted that research questions open for exploration.
esports should be considered a separate category In a recent study [33], researchers conducted
within the sports domain, due to the lack of physical interviews with 25 Hong Kong teenagers and young
activity. adults, predominantly students around the age of 20,
From a different perspective, Örsoğlu et al. [17] to investigate their perceptions of esports
presented the viewpoints of young esports players on participation. Several challenges identified in the study
community and parent perceptions of esports. The resonated with those outlined in Salo's esports career
authors revealed that esports are often perceived as model [34], including the need to maintain a balance
something unfamiliar and potentially hazardous. between academic commitments and esports
Parents, as reported by the players, frequently involvement, societal negativity towards esports, age
dismissed their esports pursuits and failed to offer limitations for practicing esports, the brief career span
support, especially when compared to parents of of esports athletes, and the perceived lack of
traditional sport athletes. Players themselves transferable skills upon discontinuation. However,
perceived esports as a legitimate sport, with the some unique insights from amateur perspectives were
potential even to surpass traditional sports. also revealed, though specific to the Hong Kong region.
Another study exploring community perspectives Some interviewees noted a lack of parental support for
is the one conducted by Vilasís-Pamos & Pires [18] their esports pursuits, while receiving encouragement
who examined teens’ perception of what a video gamer from teachers and peers. Additionally, concerns were
is. Among the created categories, the authors raised about the high cost of professional esports
distinguished five types of gamers, two of which can be equipment, posing a barrier for aspiring esports
related to esports: Celebrity-Platform-Gamer and enthusiasts in initiating their careers. These insights
Professional-Gamer. These types of gamers were both align to a considerable extent with the findings
described as people playing for money, who described by Örsoğlu et al. [17].
showcased their talents and gained fame. Professional Nevertheless, to date, only a few researchers have
gamers, in particular, were seen as people who studied esports athletic careers and related topics. For
compete in tournaments and spend a lot of time example, scholars have modeled the transition from a
practicing. In this study, esports itself was seen as a casual gamer to a professional esports player [30, 34,
professional opportunity. 35]. and investigated gaming motivations of
Adding to this, it is likely that the perceptions of professional esports players [8, 29, 36, 37]. Smithies
esports and esports athletes can be affected by the et al. [38], for instance, explored the skills and
stereotypical views of gamers that leaked onto them. experiences of esports players. Among the few studies
For example, some researchers suggest that such on esports athletic careers, only a few studies [8, 33],
perceptions of gamers as being unsuccessful, socially involved casual gamers while the rest were either
11
theoretical deliberations or were focused on the study. No additional filtering criteria were
professional esports players. employed.
As the esports industry develops globally, there Based on the methodology of thematic analysis as
remains a limited understanding of how society and suggested by Nowell et al. [41] and Tong et al. [42], we
the gaming community perceive the career of an explored this data for emerging themes regarding how
esports athlete. Such an understanding is crucial from esports and esports athletic careers are defined. Two
an industry perspective as it reveals what future independent coders created categories without any
esports talents expect from the industry. From an pre-established framework, allowing for an inductive
academic perspective, this offers valuable feedback approach to the data. Upon completion of the initial
from often-overlooked members of the esports coding phase, the categories were standardized for
community, serving as missing pieces to enhance consistency, adopting identical wording across the
future esports studies. dataset. A number of responses received multiple
Considering this, we note that although esports are codes. Inter-rater reliability was calculated to ensure
well and often defined in the literature [13], research the robustness of the coding process, yielding
lacks studies that report how the gaming community satisfactory results with intraclass correlation
perceives esports. Moreover, in the current literature coefficient ICC = .83 and 90% compliance rate for the
there are only few studies showing how grassroots- perceptions of esports, and with ICC = .70 and 85%
level participants perceive esports athletic careers. compliance rate for the perceptions of esports careers.
These research gaps are substantial, as the present As per Koo and Li [43], values between .50 and .75
studies fail to fully capture the diverse experiences and indicate a moderate reliability and values between .75
perspectives within the esports community, and .90 indicate a good reliability (calculated in IBM
particularly those at the amateur level who may SPSS 29). Thus, current coefficients suggest a
possess unique insights into the field. As suggested in moderate-good reliability. The discrepancies that
the Esports Research Agenda [39], esports arose between the raters were resolved by the
communities exhibit fragmentation across different principal author.
layers, emphasizing the need for future studies not A total of 156 individuals participated in the study.
only at the industry level but also at the participant However, six responses were excluded due to non-
level. In an effort to address these research gaps and serious or joke content, such as insulting remarks
advance the understanding of non-professional directed at specific individuals, and four were excluded
perceptions of esports and esports careers, we for being responses from professional esports athletes.
conducted a qualitative exploratory study. A thematic This resulted in a final sample of 146 participants for
analysis was conducted to provide insights into the the thematic analysis. The current dataset comprises
complex nature of esports as both a competitive field 292 answers giving a total of 3978 words with an
and an emerging career path, and to deepen the average length of 13.62 words per response. Of the
understanding of esports athletic careers. participants, 16 were women and 122 were men (8
people did not provide answers or were of different
gender), with an average age of 25.88 years old (SD =
2. Methods 6.47, Mdn = 24). Gaming habits varied, with
participants playing video games on average for 17.73
We conducted an online questionnaire featuring eight hours/week (SD = 15.13, Mdn = 14). On average
open-ended questions to explore the esports-related participants were engage in esports for 8.74 years (SD
perceptions of individuals either non-engaged with = 6.28, Mdn = 8), while playing esports titles for 9.29
esports or engaged at an amateur level. The hours/week (SD = 13.42, Mdn = 5) and spectating
questionnaire was distributed via social media from esports for 2.42 hours/week (SD = 5.07, Mdn = 1). The
December 2022 to February 2023, namely Reddit and participants in our study originated from 33 countries,
Facebook groups. Our selection of these platforms was with a predominant representation from North
based on their widespread use and availability for America and Europe. Specific socio-demographic and
gaming- and esports-related discussions. For example, gaming habits-related information of the final 146
as of March 3, 2024, the subreddit 'Gaming' boasted 39 participants are presented in Table 1.
million members, the subreddit 'League of Legends'
had 6.9 million members, the subreddit 'Counter- Table 1
Strike: Global Offensive' had 2.2 million members, and Participants’ characteristics
the subreddit 'esports' had 159 thousand members N %
[40], making these platforms rich sources of potential Gender
participants. Man 122 83.56
After starting the study, the participants were Woman 16 10.96
prompted to describe how they perceive esports and Other/Refusal/ 8 5.48
esports athletic careers, along with their perceptions Missing
of success and failure, both performance- and career- Age
wise in esports (the current paper analyzes only the < 20 15 10.27
former). Subsequently, participants were asked to 20-29 97 66.44
provide information on their socio-demographic 30-39 27 18.49
characteristics and gaming habits. Only participants 40-49 5 3.42
who were of legal age, not professional esports 50-59 1 0.68
athletes, and lacked prior professional experience in Missing 1 0.68
the realm of esports were considered for inclusion in Country
12
United States 36 24.66
Poland 22 15.07
3. Results
United Kingdom 20 13.70
The initial codes were categorized into groups
Canada 10 6.85
describing similar ideas, which allowed us to
France 8 5.48
distinguish two sets of emergent themes, one for
Germany 7 4.79
perceptions of esports and one for perceptions of
Spain 5 3.42
esports athletic careers. For brevity, in case of
Denmark 4 2.74
contradictory themes (e.g., perceiving esports as a
Australia 3 2.05
“real” career path vs. a time-wasting activity) we
Czech Republic 3 2.05
combined and juxtaposed them within a single major
Others* 27 17.49
theme. Additionally, we conducted a correlation
Missing 1 0.68
analysis using Jamovi 2.3.28 [44] to examine the
Esports experience/years potential relationships between the emergent themes
None 14 9.58 and various facets of esports engagement and
1-9 73 50.00 experience, as well as the socio-demographic
10-19 48 32.88 characteristics of the participants.
20+ 10 6.85
Missing 1 0.68
Gaming hours/week 3.1. Esports
None 2 1.36
1-19 88 60.27 Answering the question of how they perceive esports,
20-39 38 26.03 the participants, in most cases, indicated its
40+ 17 11.64 competitive and professional nature, with some
Missing 1 0.68 considering it a pseudo-sport. Besides such
Esport hours/week perceptions, the participants described it as an
None 31 21.23 entertainment that is both a part of their daily lives as
1-19 94 64.38 well as something that almost everyone can partake in,
20-39 14 9.59 regardless of their physical and mental
40+ 3 2.05 predispositions. Unsurprisingly, esports were also
Missing 1 0.68 described as an industry or a business. Based on the
Esports spectating/hours aforementioned, we have distinguished four themes:
None 60 41.09 1) Competitive professional gaming, 2) Accessible and
1-19 81 55.48 Inclusive Entertainment, 3) Cultural Phenomenon and
20-39 1 0.68 Lifestyle, and 4) Economic and Industry Dynamics.
40+ 1 0.68 Each theme is further described.
Missing 1 0.68
Esport engagement
Amateur 107 73.29 3.1.1. Competitive
None 38 26.71 professional gaming
Tournament participation
Yes 61 41.78 This theme considers esports a structured form of
No 85 58.22 competitive gaming at a professional level, regardless
Note. *Others include 2 participants from: Brazil, of the game played. Participants indicated that esports
Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Singapore, and Sweden; 1 is no different than traditional sports, with organized
participant from: Albania, Argentina, Austria, Croatia, tournaments, professional teams, and individual
Cyprus, India, Ireland, Japan, Norway, Russia, Slovakia, players competing for prestige, prizes, and
Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, and Ukraine. sponsorship and business opportunities. Similarly to
traditional sports, esports is seen as requiring a high
The disparity observed between the percentage of skill level, tactical and strategic abilities, rigorous
individuals with esports experience and those actively training, many cognitive abilities and great dedication.
engaged in esports, either through playing or Esports is often associated with competing for prizes
spectating, can likely be attributed to the framing of of the professional athletic path.
the survey questions. Specifically, participants were
(...) it's a high quality competition in video games.
queried about their experience in terms of cumulative
Whether that be speedrunning, a solo game like
years, while their engagement was assessed in the
GTA Vice City, 1v1 games like SC BW, or team
current period. Thus, even though some participants
games like LoL. It's a direct competition between
had extensive experience over the years, their current
two or more people to see who is the better.
engagement might be negligible. In fact, some
(Participant 60)
participants noted that they either only play esports
games and do not spectate them, while others asserted A professional environment for gamers to test
that their esports viewership is limited to major and prove their skills to the world. This more
tournaments, occurring only once a year, indicating often than not is in a Player vs Player format but
minimal current engagement. does not have to be. (Participant 7)
13
Playing video games at a very high competitive them indicating the use of video games played on
level, and competing for prizes at that level. computers or gaming consoles usually via the Internet.
(Participant 82) As such, while esports aspires to be an inclusive and
accessible domain, the necessity for Internet access
However, it was also not uncommon that esports
and gaming equipment may pose barriers to
was considered a pseudo-sport or a joke in a number
participation for individuals who are less affluent or
of the responses. The participants often claimed that reside in economically disadvantaged regions.
esports unsuccessfully aspires to be a “real” sport or
that the infusion of sports elements into games Sport, but with a computer (...) (Participant 146)
deviates from their original purpose, which is to be
A sport played using computers and computer
enjoyable. Furthermore, in comparison to the above-
games. (Participant 128)
mentioned game versatility of esports, some
participants believe that only specific games are
eligible to be called as such. 3.1.3. Cultural phenomenon
A parody of a sports discipline that, however, and lifestyle
requires a lot of skill and training. (Participant
134) The participants also defined esports as a cultural
phenomenon that extends beyond its competitive
(...) Destroying a fun activity by tryharding.
aspects. Esports, in this case, can be seen as a reflection
(Participant 20)
of the growing digitization of society, influencing social
To me, esports is competing in competitively behaviors and entertainment consumption.
viable video games. The definition of that will Participants identified esports as an entertainment
change from person to person. But I wouldn't that includes playing esports games and spectating in
consider a Mario Kart tournament to be esports order to relax and escape the everyday. The prevailing
but rather a community event. Where even a perceptions suggest that esports has seamlessly
small Street Fighter tournament I'd consider integrated into the fabric of modern life, exerting a
esports. (Participant 98) significant influence over consumption preferences
and even social behaviors. Participants draw parallels
between the spectatorship of esports and that of
3.1.2. Accessible and traditional sports, underscoring the cultural
inclusive entertainment significance esports has assumed in contemporary
society.
Besides being seen as a professional area, esports are
(...) entertainment to watch with a beer and
also perceived as an entertainment that is both
chips. (Participant 115)
accessible and inclusive. This category captures the
sentiment that esports provides a level playing field for Something fun to do, a time well-spent.
individuals regardless of their physical abilities, (Participant 142)
cultural background, or geographical location,
differentiating it from traditional sports. There is a Esports is a beautiful variation of the sports we
watch every day such as speedway or athletics
prevailing belief that esports, compared to traditional
(Participants 47)
sports, is more likely to be accessible to individuals
with various disabilities and those who may be What regular tv shows are for older people
otherwise marginalized or excluded from sport (Participant 72)
participation.
Esports is true equality in sports. A physically- 3.1.4. Economic and industry
disabled person who could not participate in
'regular' sports can participate in Esports. In real
dynamics
sports, you have to have genetic advantages.
Some people are taller (NBA) some people are The last theme identifies esports as a growing industry
faster or stronger. If a regular person trains as with its own ecosystem of sponsors, advertisers, and a
hard as these gifted people, they will not achieve global market. Participants note different career
the same level of greatness. In ESports, the main possibilities in this industry, including financial and
factor in skills is hours spent. A physically- economic aspects. Esports is seen as an evolving sector
disabled person who could not participate in experiencing significant investments and offering
'regular' sports can participate in Esports, and professional opportunities that align with broader
there are many examples of physically disabled trends in the entertainment and gaming industries.
Esports players. (...) What I'm trying to say is that This includes the widespread monetization of various
everyone should be able to chase 'greatness' facets, such as in-game possibilities or the
through some kind of 'sport' and ESports allows competitions themselves.
hundreds of millions (if not billions) of other Monetised and advertised competitive gaming,
otherwise-ineligible people to become 'great'. and everything that supports it, and everything
(Participant 8) that is produced by it. (...) (Participant 65)
Almost all of the participants have noted that (...). Young sports industry that requires skill and
esports are facilitated by technology, with most of sacrifice just like any sport. (Participant 13)
14
However, participants also highlight numerous The same as a sports career. I believe that one can
challenges within the industry, citing predatory speak of an 'esports career' from the moment one
practices and mismanagement in various domains. starts playing in a professional team/on
These issues are often attributed to an excessive focus professional tournaments and it begins to yield
on monetization or profit. Participants express profits. (Participant 30)
concern that such practices are particularly harmful to
Getting good enough at an e-sports game that you
the young members of the esports community – both
perform well in smaller tournaments, then join
professional and casual players. Some participants
an established team or organization to train and
note that originally esports were more focused on pure
go (semi-) professional. (Participant 12)
competition rather than profit, which has changed
with increased resources being injected into the Regularly training in a given game to improve
industry. one's performance in competitions (Participant
38)
A stumbling industry horribly mismanaged, for
the most part (...) (Participant 100)
Once it was a way for extremely competitive 3.2.2. Economic viability and
players to compete at the highest level. Now it is livelihood
mostly a shady way for teams and companies to
make money. (Participant 49) This theme indicates that esports athletic careers are
seen as a viable career path or a job allowing to earn
As most high-level sports, mostly an industry
money and even to self-sustain. The ability to secure a
with shitty sponsors (crypto, gambling, etc...). In
stable income through various revenue streams such
case of e-sports, especially preying on the young
as sponsorships, prize money, and contracts with
(Participant 21)
professional teams is central to this theme. Some
participants highlight that esports athletic careers are
3.2. Esports athletic careers seldom viewed as the sole source of income, with many
professionals often combining it with other income-
When the participants were asked to describe how generating activities, frequently embedded within the
they perceive esports athletic careers, they most often industry. The ability to self-sustain through esports is
described it as a “real” professional career akin to that often described as contingent on the athlete's capacity
of a sportsperson or as a job. This is similar to their to build their personal brand.
perceptions of esports itself, however with a stronger (...) If a player signs contracts with teams, has
emphasis on skills, achievements or fame. Despite such agreements with sponsors, and participates in
a view, participants were not as consistent when competitions for which they are compensated,
describing its economic viability, as this career was in then in this case the similarity to classic, physical
a considerable number of cases seen as very sports is significant. (Participant 126)
precarious, unstable, and requiring great engagement
at the cost of other areas of the athletes’ lives. What is Building your brand as a player in a particular
more, the participants at times perceived these careers game by achieving smaller or larger successes in
as requiring the athletes to undertake numerous tournaments, which translates into popularity
professional roles at once to achieve sustainability. and attracts sponsors and advertisers eager to
Based on this, we have distinguished five major sign contracts. (Participant 58)
themes: 1) Professionalism and Skill Development, 2) However, this viability is juxtaposed with
Economic Viability and Livelihood, 3) Instability and precariousness, as only a selected few can reach a level
Sacrifice, 4) Public Perception and Legitimacy, and. 5) of having a sustainable source of income as an esports
Diversity of Roles; as described below. athlete. The participants acknowledge that in most
cases such a career can be treated only as a distant
3.2.1. Professionalism and dream.
skill development Being exploited by a team or organization to
work ridiculous hours for very little
The participants put a particular emphasis on how in compensation. For a tiny tiny tiny percentage of
esports careers, just like in traditional sports careers, people they can make okay money, but will likely
the keys are skill development and professionalism. have few ways of making it last. (Participant 49)
They acknowledge the necessity for regular training,
strategic thinking, and continuous improvement. This 3.2.3. Instability and sacrifice
theme highlights an esports athletic career as one that
is highly competitive, and demands not only innate In this theme, the participants describe the career
talent but also a disciplined approach to refining of an esports athlete as unstable which requires
gaming skills. Some participants indicate that like in personal sacrifice in many aspects. This includes
traditional sports, career advancement in this case is abandoning other pursuits, education and self-
marked by achievements, such as advancing in development in different areas. The participants also
rankings, winning tournaments, and gaining highlighted the challenges of maintaining a long-term
recognition within the gaming community.
career, indicating potential burnout, age restrictions,
short career longevity, and the saturation of the
15
market. Additionally, participants note the potential distinguish between multiple paths within esports
health consequences for players, stemming from stress careers, advocating for separate recognition of athletes
due to career uncertainty and the constant demand to and streamers or content creators, despite evident
perform at a high level. overlaps. Consequently, being an esports athlete is
viewed as just one of the potential trajectories within
Unreliable. Very difficult to have, since games
the industry. In addition, participants indicate that
will tend to lose popularity over time and very
esports athletes should develop a multitude of
few people will be able to play professionally. A
different career skills, to be able to transfer to other
lot of games only stay popular for a few years.
professions after retirement from professional
Some games that will be able to keep their fans
playing.
are the ones that keep getting new versions like
Tekken and Super Smash Brothers. (Participant (...) Only a select few will make money through
77) tournaments. The only others I see being able to
have esports as a career are streamers. If they
Difficult to achieve, often short-lived and has a
have a large following, they will be able to retain
long line of failed people behind each success.
some followers if they switch games. (Participant
(Participants 87)
77)
Joining a team, dedicating over 8 hours to
Getting paid to compete in esports. Streaming is
continuous playing with the team and practicing.
not an esports career, that is something separate.
Lots of stress and an uncertain career. Burnout of
(Participant 60)
pleasure from the game. (Participants 86)
Like other industries, there are many possible
careers within esports. The most visible being of
3.2.4. Public perception and course, the professional player. Many people
legitimacy work behind the scenes to produce broadcasts.
Some jobs require more dedication to the
This theme encompasses societal perceptions of individual game being covered, while others are
esports, mostly as a legitimate career that can be more general. The popularity of the game among
equated to that of a traditional sportsperson. Some non-professional players, is an important part of
participants, however, consider it a frivolous activity the viability of an esports scene (from a business
that wastes time and should not be treated as a real job, point of view, there are exceptions) (Participant
or should even be restricted. This dichotomy reflects 32)
broader societal attitudes towards gaming and the
evolving nature of what constitutes a 'real' career.
3.3. Correlation analysis
(...) to be honest? Losing in life. (Participant 20)
A bunch of fat guys playing video games and Having different experiences with esports or gaming
pretending to be actual athletes instead of getting might be one of the factors determining how it is
a job. (Participant 11) perceived. Consequently, we conducted a correlation
analysis (Spearman’s rho) between participants’
(...). It is exactly the same as the career of a characteristics and emergent themes. Each theme was
sportsman. (Participant 9) coded as a binary variable indicating its presence or
A considerable number of participants have also absence in a given response, resulting in nine variables
noted that esports athletic careers are often perceived for each response - four related to the perception of
as an aim or a dream for many young people, who see esports and five to esports athletic careers. This
professional esportsmanship as something worth analysis is presented in Table 2.
pursuing. Furthermore, esports athletes are viewed as As Table 2 presents, a few significant correlations
celebrities or stars within their communities, serving are present. The variable that seems to have the
as role models for those who aspire to follow in their strongest association with the emergent themes is the
footsteps. esports spectatorship: (1) a positive correlation with
“Accessible and Inclusive Entertainment” theme; (2) a
Opportunity for young players who want to fulfill positive correlation with “Cultural Phenomenon and
their dream of gaming. (Participant 47) Lifestyle” theme; (3) a positive correlation with
(...) A hidden dream. (Participant 113) “Professionalism and Skill Development”; and a (4)
negative correlation “Economic Viability and
(...) and being a celebrity in this community's Livelihood” theme. This suggests that greater
hierarchy. (Participant 36) spectatorship and engagement with esports are more
likely to result in its perception as an entertainment
3.2.5. Diversity of roles and cultural phenomenon, as well as a professional
domain. Interestingly, individuals who engaged more
Finally, esports athletic careers as perceived as in esports spectatorship were less likely to perceive
encompassing many different roles and paths at the esports careers as economically viable. Additionally,
same time. On one hand, people interested in these some near-significant correlations were observed,
careers should be, of course, athletes, but on the other, with one noteworthy finding being that older
they are required to be an entertainer or an artist. participants were less likely to perceive esports as
However, some participants emphasize the need to entertainment and the career as a professional area.
16
Table 2
Correlation analysis
E1 E2 E3 E4 EC1 EC2 EC3 EC4 EC5
Gender -0.015 -0.064 0.018 0.052 -0.048 0.071 -0.052 0.060 0.117
Age 0.046 -0.157† 0.030 -0.062 -0.149† 0.077 0.023 0.058 0.003
Esports experience 0.048 0.058 0.048 -0.086 0.137 -0.040 0.116 -0.038 0.056
Gaming hours 0.015 -0.064 -0.029 0.162† -0.002 0.074 -0.019 0.056 0.095
Esport hours -0.027 0.055 0.074 0.027 0.096 -0.077 -0.065 -0.126 0.031
Esports spectating -0.160† 0.169* 0.172* 0.018 0.237** -0.168* -0.100 -0.080 0.080
Esport engagement -0.042 0.107 0.203* -0.056 0.198* -0.061 0.026 -0.135 0.041
Tournament participation
0.017 0.100 0.088 0.062 0.137 -0.078 0.014 -0.039 0.045
Note. E = Esport; EC - Esport career;
†p = 0.075 –- 0.05, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01
is somewhat surprising, considering that numerous
studies related to esports participation suggest
4. Discussion potential consequences such as sleep pattern
distortions [49], obesity [50], or various physical
This study presents an exploration of societal injuries [51]. This might potentially indicate a lower
perceptions of esports and esports athletic careers social consciousness regarding the existence of such
using a qualitative approach. With thematic analysis, physical health problems in the context of esports.
our findings reveal a complex perspective on both of We have, however, identified an additional
those areas, based on the perceptions of the members dimension related to how esports are perceived, which
of the gaming community. Current findings extend the was not described by Formosa et al. [13] namely,
existing research by providing insight into a previously inclusivity and equality. Many participants in the
under-explored perspective. current study noted the inclusive nature of esports, a
Regarding perceptions of esports, four themes discipline that, at least in principle, should equalize
have emerged: 1) Competitive Professional Gaming, chances for all who wish to participate. Of course, this
emphasizing esports as a high-skill, strategic, and is not always the case, as even if skill acquisition is less
competitive field akin to traditional sports; 2) dependent on physical attributes than in traditional
Accessible and Inclusive Entertainment, highlighting sports, members of many groups still experience
how esports transcends physical, cultural, and exclusion from competition. Researchers often
geographical barriers; 3) Cultural Phenomenon and indicate that one of such groups is women [20 – 22, 52]
Lifestyle, indicating how esports influenced or people lacking resources to purchase gaming
contemporary cultural landscape, as well as equipment. While the first issue is a deeper
entertainment and social behaviors; 4) Economic and sociological problem [53], the second one is slowly
Industry Dynamics, recognizing esports as unique being addressed, as in many regions, facilities and
economic ecosystem. educational programs allowing for esports
To a considerable extent, these dimensions align participation are being created (e.g., [54 – 57]).
with those identified by Formosa et al., [13] in their Additionally, if we consider people with different
systematic review as well as with prior studies like disabilities, the way esports games are designed
that of Chang [16] or Örsoğlu et al. [17]. However, one nowadays is gradually becoming more
dimension we have not identified as a significant accommodating towards them (e.g., [58, 59]). As such,
aspect of esports is gambling. This is surprising, despite some difficulties, esports seems to be heading
considering that the esports betting market reached towards the ideal noted by the participants of this
USD 9,749 million in 2021 [45] and, as reported by the study.
UK’s Gambling Commission [46] reported, 8.5% of As identified in this thematic analysis, esports are
adults have ever bet on esports. On the one hand, our also perceived as a venue for professional and
method may not have prompted participants to economically viable development with many possible
provide gambling-related answers, or they might have career paths. However, some participants have noted
not perceived gambling as a key part of esports. On the that despite such possibilities, the industry is not
other hand, participants might have chosen to hide exactly sustainable at the moment. As emphasized by
their gambling activities, as it is a stigmatized activity Cranmer et al. [39], the esports industry exhibits
where maintaining secrecy can be an effective method fragmentation in various aspects, and there is a need
of stigma reduction (e.g.,[47, 48]). for the development of sustainable business models to
Furthermore, in comparison to Chang’s study [16], establish esports as a more stable, profitable, and well-
we did not identify a perception of esports as carrying respected career choice. Further, entering the industry
significant consequences for physical health but only might be difficult, regardless of the desired position, as
for mental health (i.e., stress and burnout). This finding reflected in the work of Ward & Harmon [60], who
clearly show that esports is a “Superstar market”,
17
where only a few may achieve true success. This is spectatorship comes also a greater appreciation for the
especially important considering that many young craftsmanship involved in esports. Interestingly, those
people aim to work in esports, viewing being an deeply engaged in spectatorship were less likely to
esports athlete as an occupation of dreams, as some believe that esports careers are economically viable.
participants claimed. This may be attributed to insights gained during
While exploring the perceptions on such careers, spectating, where individuals become acquainted with
five major themes emerged: 1) Professionalism and commentaries from athletes themselves, providing a
Skill Development, showing how esports are parallel to more realistic portrayal of the challenges within this
traditional sports in its emphasis on skill, training, and career. The generalizability of these findings to a
devotion of the athletes; 2) Economic Viability and broader societal context remains unexplored due to
Livelihood, indicating to the potential for a sustainable the limitations of the current dataset.
income but also noting how precarious this careers is; Furthermore, a noteworthy, albeit non-significant
3) Instability and Sacrifice, highlighting the personal correlation has surfaced – older individuals were less
and professional sacrifices that esports athletes often likely to perceive esports careers as areas of
have to make; 4) Public Perception and Legitimacy, professional development. Additionally, they were less
showing that the societal perception towards esports likely to indicate that esports serves as a form of
careers remains ambivalent, sometimes still denying it accessible and inclusive entertainment. Possibly, for
the status of a legitimate career path; 5) Diversity of older people, having a career in esports might not align
Roles, highlighting the many roles that esports athletes with their preconceived notions of professional
need to undertake. development associated with their upbrining and
What, in the eye of the beholder, are esports overall familiarity with the esports professional
athletic careers then? They are careers, just like landscape. Those speculations, however, should be
traditional sports careers, that require plenty of confirmed on a larger and more age-diverse sample.
devotion and sacrifice, a source of income that is In our understanding of esports, we need to draw
economically viable only for some. The difference lies a line between professional and amateur participation.
in the ambivalent social perception of its status and the Many of the participants of this study conflated
necessity for esports athletes to undertake many roles amateurs and professionals, for instance indicating
and many industry positions at the same time in order that a career as an esports athlete may be understood
to sustain themselves. Of course, this perception is as simply playing video games. This, however, should
based on the views of the amateurs, thus we cannot not surprise, as even in the scientific literature, there is
claim that it will remain true if professional esports little showing at what point we can claim that a person
athletes are asked the same set of questions. becomes a professional esports athlete. If we look at
Nevertheless, this is an important contribution, as it the current data, we could claim that this happens at
shows the wider and less explored perspective of the moment when someone either starts earning
people who perceive the industry from the outside. money or starts developing their skills with the aim of
One of the results, unlikely to appear to the same engaging at the highest level of competition. However,
extent if researched among professionals, is the a question remains as to how much money one should
stereotypical views on esports athletes and their earn, or how to measure the seriousness of
careers. Even though both video games and esports are engagement in athletic pursuits. Finding answers to
pastimes popular among a considerable number of these questions should prove beneficial not only for
people (e.g., in Poland, almost 67% of the adult the industry but also for the athletes.
population play video games, while 25% of them are In the extant literature, esports professionals or
interested in esports [61]), negative perceptions of esports athletic careers are not usually explicitly
esports as a profession exist, even among people who defined, the exception being a short definition
participate in esports themselves. As our thematic provided by Freeman and Wohn [15] describing
analysis has shown, esports athletes are still professional players as someone “in a professional
sometimes perceived through the lens of the team playing for tournaments, eSports-related
stereotypical gamer – a couch potato [62]. The business, and streaming to make income”. However,
occupation itself, in turn, is sometimes seen as a waste previous research can be used to describe esports
of time, a pseudo-sport, or pseudo-work. However, this athletes and their careers, by exploring existing
view was not a very strong sentiment in the current selection criteria for including participants in research
analysis, thus it is likely that in the wider society, it that are described as professional players. For
might not be very prevailing. instance, Ward & Harmon [60] suggested that people
What is necessary to note, is that perceptions of who received monetary compensation for tournament
esports and esports athletic careers vary among the participation can be considered professionals.
members of the esports community, contingent on However, they also noted that such earning by itself is
their traits and experiences in esports and gaming. Our not enough to claim that someone is a professional, as
data highlights that as individuals gain experience and some people might have participated in a tournament
consume more esports content, particularly through simply for fun. Thus, earnings do not necessarily
spectatorship, they are more inclined to perceive indicate whether someone is an amateur or a
esports careers as realms of professional development professional.
requiring dedication and skill. Simultaneously, they In a different perspective, Meng-Lewis et al. [63]
tend to view esports as not only entertainment but also stated that esports professionals are “current and
as a significant cultural phenomenon. It should not retired athletes working in the esports industry”. Thus
surprise that people who watch esports tend to again, esports professionals seem to be those who
indicate that it is something fun to do, however with work in the industry and earn money by doing their
18
jobs. Esports professionals can also be described as between the two groups using more comprehensive
people who have “experienced esports'' for a given data collection methods [39].
time [64], who are competing or belonging to gaming Despite these limitations, our study offers insights
leagues [30], or who have greater skills and into the perceptions of esports and esports athletic
understanding than non-professionals and who careers, an area still understudied. From the
practice rigorously [65]. García-Lanzo & Chamarro perspective of amateur esports athletes and the video
[66] aimed to make a distinction between amateurs gaming community, esports are viewed as competitive,
and semi-professionals, resulting in showing that inclusive, culturally influential, and a growing industry
semi-professionals are more likely to be people with diverse career opportunities. However, this study
spending more time on playing video games, are less also reveals that individuals outside the industry
motivated by the game’s story or lore, and are more perceive esports athletic careers as precarious and
likely to be motivated by the desire to increase their unstable, characterized by professional demands,
own mental capacities. We ourselves distinguished economic challenges, and mixed social perceptions.
esports athletes and professionals by allowing the Moreover, we identified that, from the amateur
participants to describe themselves as a member of perspective, the primary differences between esports
either group, virtually leaving the classification to professionals and amateurs lie in the effort invested in
them. Thus, these insights from the literature are self-development in gaming and the economic
consistent with the prevailing sentiment among opportunities associated with play. Importantly, these
amateurs, indicating that the distinction between perceptions may vary depending on demographic
professional and non-professional players is an characteristics and the level and type of engagement in
amalgamation of self-development and economic esports.
viability. Regardless of where to draw the line between Considering current deliberations, we believe that
amateurs and professionals, researchers and amateurs it is necessary to continue exploring this research area.
seem to agree that being an esports athlete is a This will help to distinguish more clearly between
“legitimate kind of job by which one could gain fame professional and non-professional athletes, aiding
and material wealth by winning videogame prospective esports athletes in understanding what is
competitions or belonging to videogame league” [30]. required to become a professional in this field.
Finally, this study is not without its limitations. Consequently, such players could form realistic
First, our sample is not representative, consisting expectations and plan their careers more effectively.
mostly of video game players, but not people who do
not play at all. While in itself it is not an issue, it limits
the study's generalizability. Therefore, we cannot Acknowledgements
make inferences about the wider population's
opinions, but only about those of the gamer The data was gathered with the help of Dawid Bojarski
population. Future studies should consider including a and Patryk Burdun.
more diverse sample, particularly individuals
disconnected from the gaming community. However,
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