THE ESPORTS ECOSYSTEM

Esports constitute an organized competitive human activity involving video games using either the internet or a local area network (LAN). Notably, esports follow a distinct historical trajectory, which has resulted in their present characteristics, including competition, social interaction, economic-cultural elements, entertainment, popularity, and professionalism. The ecosystem of esports includes video games, players, teams, viewers, game communities, institutions, publishers, and any sponsors associated with them. This paper aims to describe the esports ecosystem and its elements. The argument put forth is that esports possess all the extrinsic elements that are characteristic of conventional sports. This is a theoretical article based on pertinent information and data from the relevant literature. The characteristics of esports can be categorised into four dimensions: the gaming dimension, the governance dimension, the social dimension, and the dimension of esports as an entertainment industry. This suggests that esports are becoming more similar to conventional sports. However, the question remains as to whether esports can really be considered as sports.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0701/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>