“Constant Pressure of Having to Perform”: Exploring Player Health Concerns in Esports

Esports is a rapidly growing industry, generating interest from research disciplines including marketing, social sciences, and human-computer interaction. Despite its continued growth, there is a lack of studies surrounding the health of esports players. Previous work on the subject is limited, as research has only recently begun to explore the potential factors affecting physical and psychological wellness. Using an exploratory mixed-methods approach, a series of semi-structured interviews (n = 10) and an online survey (n = 68) were used to identify the biggest health concerns among esports players. The results demonstrate a better understanding of issues regarding physical and psychological wellness according to the players. Moving forward, we suggest the HCI community adapts mindfulness, ergonomics, and social-emotional learning as methods for supporting player’s health concerns.