Overwatch: The cost of being an Esports player

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19 October 1972 is widely known as the date the first official video game competition was held. On that day, 24 players were present and the first-place prize was a subscription to Rolling Stone magazine. 

Fast forward to the present-day, and we have seen Esports grow exponentially. Not only in the number of competitors, but also in social recognition. In fact, video game companies hold significant power and influence in our world today, amassing hundreds of millions of viewers for each Esports event.

This isn’t new; even in 2019, a decade ago, the League of Legends World Championship brought in more than 100 million viewers, including a peak of 44 million concurrent viewers, during the competition’s final round.

What is new are the competitor guidelines that are being presented as a standard for Esports tournament holders. 

Coming into effect this month, to participate in any major Esports tournament (recognised by large sponsors such as MasterCard, Intel, ESPN and Twitch.tv), players must sign and agree to the standardised set of privacy and data policies created via the input and collaboration of large tech and gaming companies. These new policies require participants to not only comply with monthly background checks, they must also install data logging software on all their devices at least six months prior to entering the tournament. The type of data collected includes instant messages, photos, social media posts, and even browser history. Participants must consent to having this data logged and constantly scanned to ensure they abide by the terms and agreements set by industry standards. 

While there has been some uproar by groups concerned with an invasion of privacy, many tech and gaming companies stand by these guidelines. Looking at history, it is clear why these companies and tournaments want to screen and validate each participant. In 2020, former FaZe Esports teammate Carl Reimer fired a pistol into his desk while intoxicated during a livestream. He was subsequently dropped by multiple sponsors, suspended from Twitch.tv and was kicked out of his professional gaming organisation, SoaR. 

Another incident occurred during a Blizzard Esports tournament in 2019. Blitzchung, winner of the Hearthstone competition, expressed his support for Hong Kong protestors while the tournament was being broadcast live to millions of viewers. This resulted in the winner’s prize money being withdrawn and the Hearthstone account being banned, although both punishments were later reverted. These examples led to massive backlash for the companies involved, and spearheaded a campaign to validate and verify that all Esports participants are willing to abide by a standardised set of rules and verifications before being allowed to compete. 

The Esports industry is incredibly profitable. It makes sense that companies want to protect their investments while shielding themselves from any potential liabilities. The goal is to prevent any future issues before they happen by gathering and compiling the data of every player prior to broadcasting their games live. Achieving this goal will allow all parties involved in the Esports arena to benefit and maximise profits while minimising risk.

Find all of our sources here.