eSports for Professional Development and Teambuilding

In the digital age, all types of businesses are exploring new strategies to teach skills and build a sense of community among their employees. Due to the versatility of technology, these new strategies have taken on many forms that utilize different mediums of communication. One such strategy that has gained recognition in the digital age is the use of eSports for teambuilding and professional development.

eSports has surged in worldwide popularity over the past decade, and as a result, more businesses are using organized video game competitions to help train and develop their staff. While using video games to boost productivity may seem counterintuitive to some managers, eSports competitions can benefit businesses and their employees in several distinct ways.

How eSports Started

The exploding popularity of competitive gaming is a relatively recent phenomenon, but the history of eSports can be traced back several decades. The first widely acknowledged example of a video game competition occurred in October 1972 at Stanford University.¹

The event featured players competing against one another in the 1962 sci-fi combat game Spacewar! and offered a one-year paid subscription to Rolling Stone magazine as the grand prize. That same year, the Magnavox Odyssey became the first-ever video game console available to consumers.²

The first large-scale eSports competition took place in 1980 and involved 10,000 total gamers playing the Atari hit Space Invaders. The tournament was won by then-16-year-old Rebecca Heineman, who went on to become a professional game designer and programmer. The size and scope of the contest helped attract national attention to competitive gaming and laid the groundwork for the massive eSports industry we recognize today.

In 2021, the global eSports market was valued at $1.08 billion, a new all-time high for the industry.³ As this boom continues, analysis suggests that eSports will only get bigger, with industry revenues projected to grow to $1.6 billion by 2024. In addition, many experts predict that eSports will become the most-watched sport in the world, with new viewership outpacing major sports leagues like the NHL and MLB.

eSports and Professional Development

The global emergence of eSports has led to the discovery of many new applications for organized competitive gaming. While video games are traditionally thought of as a recreational activity, individuals and organizations of all types are using eSports to assist in the development of key professional traits and skills.

In the digital age, eSports is an effective way for organizations to engage younger audiences and keep their attention while imparting valuable professional lessons. Video game skills are not directly applicable in most professional settings, but regular participation in team-based eSports competitions can help individuals develop and hone career skills that are useful in any workplace.

Soft Skills

eSports competitions can provide individuals an opportunity to demonstrate new skills in a controlled setting without major professional stakes. There are several ways that young professionals and students can develop soft skills through eSports.

• Communication: Interpersonal communication is essential in any workplace. When communication in an organization is lacking, it can impact productivity and lead to costly losses. Team-based eSports competitions require individuals to communicate with each other effectively to solve problems and reach shared objectives. As a result, regularly participating in eSports can help professionals improve their interpersonal communication skills in their work-life as well.
• Creativity: Creativity is a valuable skill in a wide range of professions, from marketing managers to programmers and engineers. In the digital age, workers are regularly asked to innovate and rethink ideas. Similarly, eSports competitions often involve dealing with obstacles and objectives that can vary wildly. Over time, eSports can expose individuals to a wider array of unique challenges, allowing them to develop their creativity and improvisational skills.
• Decision-making: Decisiveness is a highly valuable career skill as well as an essential life skill. Individuals in every field are asked to make timely, well-educated decisions that often have serious implications. During eSports competitions, individuals must frequently make quick decisions that can impact their chances of success or failure. This practice helps young professionals become more comfortable and efficient when analyzing and making decisions.
• Self-confidence: Confidence is essential for success in any workplace or on the job hunt. In some workplaces, a high-stakes and fast-paced work environment can make it difficult for workers to develop confidence while on the job. eSports can help individuals build confidence by allowing them to accomplish objectives and earn recognition from teammates in a supportive learning environment.

eSports for Businesses

Just as more individuals in the digital age are utilizing eSports for their professional development, more business leaders are recognizing the team building benefits of eSports in the workplace. In business, team building is the process of developing a work group into a cohesive unit.⁴ This process allows employees to build rapport with one another and develop their skills while working toward common goals.

Effective team building can help cultivate a positive work atmosphere and improve the efficiency of operations. Because of these benefits, businesses in all industries are in constant competition to optimize their team-building methods using new strategies and technologies. As a result, many organizations have turned to eSports as a creative outlet for team building.

The Benefits of Using eSports for Team Building

• Improved morale: In any business, it’s critical to maintain a positive attitude about work. Consistently good morale among workers can improve productivity and company reputation. However, maintaining morale can be a challenge for employers due to boredom and burnout. eSports activities can counteract workplace monotony by providing employees with a productive yet entertaining change of pace from normal activities.
• Increased productivity: When employees consistently work well together, it can boost team productivity as well as morale. By participating in team eSports competitions, employees can gain a better understanding of their co-workers’ strengths, weaknesses, and personality traits. Using this knowledge, teams can ensure that each worker’s skills are fully utilized, and tasks are assigned to workers best suited to accomplish them.
• Easier inclusion: Team building can be beneficial for all types of employees, but organizing activities can be extremely challenging if one or more team members work remotely. Many traditional team-building exercises require employees to be physically present, which can exclude remote workers and prevent them from bonding with teammates in physical office locations. By organizing digital team-building activities through eSports, leaders can ensure that all types of employees can participate, leading to increased interactions between remote and in-office workers.
• Problem-solving experience: In any workplace, teams must work together to analyze problems as they arise and identify feasible solutions. The process is critical; however, participating in group problem-solving exercises can be intimidating for newer employees who don’t feel familiar with their team members. Team-based eSports competitions provide a comfortable setting for workers to practice brainstorming together and allow new team members to observe the problem-solving process.

As eSports become more popular in the professional world, all types of businesses are identifying and enjoying additional benefits. For businesses who want to enjoy these benefits, there are several things to consider when integrating eSports into a team-building strategy.

Getting Started With eSports

For many businesses, the team-building and professional benefits of eSports are obvious, but the best way to get started is unclear. Team-based competitive gaming exercises often require specialized equipment and knowledge. For businesses that are new to eSports activities, the first step is to identify the resources they will need. There are several different types of technology used in eSports:

Equipment

Acquiring the right equipment is critical for establishing any type of successful eSports program. The exact equipment a business needs will depend on their specific plan for using eSports in the workplace, but there are some basic items used for all types of gaming.

• Network: A reliable network connection is a must for participating in competitive eSports. Because gaming tournaments are often streamed live and feature multiple teams competing from different geographic areas, sufficient bandwidth is required for eSports teams to track events and respond to opponents in real-time. Networks must also be consistently stable, as experiencing lag during competitive play can be costly. If a connection is regularly slow or prone to latency, network transformation services may be necessary to support competitive eSports.
• Gaming devices: The consoles or computers used to run games are the foundation of any eSports competition. These devices can have a significant impact on player experience. There are several different gaming device options for eSports in the workplace. Many businesses choose computers over consoles due to their versatility, but each type of computer has its pros and cons for gaming. Desktops offer more processing power and are easier to repair and modify, while laptops are more portable and spatially efficient. When buying a laptop or desktop for gaming, it is critical to make sure that the device’s RAM, processing power, and graphics card are adequate for eSports.
• Monitors: Monitors are essential for providing the visual element of the gaming experience. If a player is forced to use an undersized or low-resolution monitor during competition, it can place them at a significant disadvantage. When buying a monitor, it is critical to select one with adequate screen size, resolution, and refresh capacity for gaming. Other features, like curved screens and onsite displays, are not as essential, but they offer a more engaging visual experience that uniquely benefits eSports.
• Headsets: In eSports, headsets allow players to communicate with one another and listen to the audio elements of gameplay. Gaming headsets should be comfortable and provide consistent sound quality that enables team members to communicate effectively.

Games in eSports

Choosing the right game for workplace eSports is critical for the efficacy of team-building exercises. For managers that aren’t familiar with the world of eSports, selecting an appropriate game from the myriad of available options can be daunting.

Employee feedback should always be considered when selecting a game for team building, but it is also important for managers to understand the types of video games used in eSports and the differences between each category.

Genres of Games in eSports

There are six major game genres commonly featured in eSports events. Games in each of these genres require different skills and often deal with different themes.

• Sports games: Sports games are among the most popular worldwide choices for eSports. Sports games like Madden and FIFA are highly conducive to team building, as they require players to coordinate their efforts to mimic the dynamics of a real-life sports team. These games are typically more conducive to workplaces that are more familiar with traditional sports games as well.
• First-person shooters: First-person shooters (or FPS) are another extremely popular video game genre. In eSports, first-person shooters typically involve fire-fights between players or groups of players. Many popular games in this category are military-based, but other shooter games, like BioShock, feature unique storylines with original characters. Many popular first-person shooters, like the Call of Duty franchise, feature multiplayer game modes wherein team members must work together toward shared objectives, such as domination or capture the flag.
• Fighting games: In this classic style of game, players choose a fighter and compete in some form of hand-to-hand combat, either against one another or in teams. In many fighting games, such as Super Smash Bros., the fighters have different strengths and weaknesses, and players must identify the character that complements their skills.
• MOBA games: Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) games involve teams of players competing in large online worlds. These games are hugely popular around the world, with the 2021 World League of Legends championship accruing over 73 million total views.⁵ Often, MOBA games require individual players to assume specific key roles on their teams and work together using their complementary strengths.
• Strategy and survival games: Survival games often feature some combat elements, but require players to strategize and/or obtain specific resources to outlast the competition. Some popular survival games, like Minecraft, give players a large amount of creative freedom in devising their survival strategies. This allows team members to brainstorm together in a fun, low-pressure setting.
• Racing games: As one of the more specific major genres, racing games involve players competing using motor vehicles in a simulated track or road environment. Racing games often measure performance using metrics like position and lap time, which can inspire a competitive spirit among team members.

Gaming Platforms in eSports

When introducing eSports into the workplace, it is important to choose a suitable gaming platform for your unique needs. There are three major platforms used in competitive gaming, each with its advantages and disadvantages.

• Console: Gaming consoles, like Microsoft Xbox and Sony PlayStation, are easy to use and don’t require much technical knowledge to set up. While cheaper than high-end gaming PCs, consoles are less customizable and won’t deliver the same performance in terms of graphics and processing power. Both major consoles offer a variety of games in different genres, including popular free options like Fortnite and Rocket League. There are many popular titles available for both Xbox and PlayStation, but some games, like the HALO series, are exclusive to one console.
• PC: PCs are a popular choice for eSports due to their versatility and performance. PCs are more complicated than consoles to assemble and operate, but they are much easier to modify and can be used in a wider range of applications. Although PC gaming offers a narrower range of titles, individual PC games are often cheaper to purchase than their console versions. Additionally, many PC games are available for free, including eSports staples like League of Legends and Dota 2.
• Mobile: Mobile devices are becoming increasingly popular for gaming due to their accessibility and convenience. While mobile devices don’t provide the same graphics and performance as consoles or PCs, powerful modern smartphones have made mobile gaming a far more immersive experience. Mobile games tend to be smaller than console or PC games, but many mobile games are highly engaging, and there are mobile versions available of familiar titles like NBA 2K and Call of Duty. Some popular mobile games, like Shadowverse, have developed sizable eSports followings.

Additional eSports Resources

eSports will continue to change as technology evolves and more people recognize the professional benefits of gaming. For more information and updates on the constantly evolving world of eSports, check out these sources:

• Corporate eSports Association is a group devoted to organizing company-wide gaming competitions.
• eSportsinsider.com features podcasts, event calendars, and other information on the latest developments in gaming.
• ReadyeSports.com offers eSports news, guides, career information, and other resources for eSports beginners.
• eSports.net provides guides, news, tournament schedules, streaming links, and eSports betting resources.
• Varsity eSports Foundation is a site focused on eSports in schools, including scholarship and grant information.

Footnotes:

1. American Esports Publisher, 2020, The History of Esports
2. PCWorld, 2012, Inside the Magnavox Odyssey, the First Video Game Console
3. Statista, 2021, eSports market revenue worldwide from 2019 to 2024
4. Berkeley, 2016, Team Building: Introduction
5. Dot Esports, 2021, League Worlds 2021 surpasses over 1 billion total hours watched