Should ESports be considered as a sport?

Video games 

The rise of popularity of esports is undeniable. Millions of people worldwide watch esports games and play the games as well. The video game industry has been rapidly growing, and now the industry is bigger than sports and movie industries combined. Despite the popularity, opponents contend that esports lack physicality and traditional athletic qualities to become a sport. In this essay, I will examine the arguments for and against esports as a sport, and present my own argument.

To begin with, esports satisfies several criteria that define traditional sports. First is the characteristic of having a regulatory organization that ensures fair competition and sportsmanship. For instance, League of Legends is organized by Riot Games, which not only sets the rules but also the game content itself. This involvement of the game company on esports is usually greater, as video games are privately made and operated. Second characteristic of sports that matches esports is the existence of competitions. The same example of League of Legends is a good case of this. Riot Games holds various leagues all across the world, having two world-scale competitions a year. Finally, like traditional sports, esports require skill and strategy. The mechanics involved in video games are extremely sophisticated, involving a great amount of mental prowess and strategies. The professional gaming industry and teams invest huge amounts of money to analyze tactics to win their games. 

Despite the similarities, one of the main arguments against esports is the lack of physical activities. However, this argument is shortsighted. First, esports is physically demanding. Although esports is played sedentary, the concentration level and the stamina required to play and practice the games cannot be dismissed. For instance, a study found that esports players experience similar physical stress to that of a race car driver. Moreover, physical requirement is not a universal characteristic of sports. Golf, archery, billiards all require far less physical action, while they involve strategic and technical elements.

In conclusion, esports can be recognized as a sport. The universal characteristic of sports involving competition, strategy, and organization can all be seen in esports. While opponents may argue the lack of physicality in esports, a deeper look into esports can disprove this argument. Therefore, esports will likely be recognized as a sport in the future.