Researchers at HSE University found that esports players perform better in online competitions than in live tournaments.

In competitions, esports athletes, like other athletes, experience stress and may perform worse due to the pressure of responsibility. The situation worsens when the outcome of a game is decided in overtime: during these crucial moments, player ratings dropped by two percent, and shooting accuracy decreased by seven percent. Additionally, live events induce significantly more stress. During online tournaments, performance does not decline as severely as in matches with an audience—the difference can reach up to 30 percent. This was highlighted in a recent study conducted by a team from the Moscow and Perm campuses of HSE University and the European University Viadrina.

2024-11-28 10:00:48https://naked-science.ru/article/column/v-niu-vshe-uznali-chto-ki

The article has been published in the prestigious Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization. Today, esports is a multibillion-dollar industry featuring major tournaments where millions of dollars are at stake. Furthermore, in Russia, esports is currently recognized as one of the priority areas for development. Just like in traditional sports, success here demands not only technical skill from players but also psychological resilience. Understanding how the stress of competition impacts player performance can enhance athlete training and lead to better results.

Junior Researcher at the Scientific and Educational Laboratory for Sports Research in the Faculty of Economics Gleb Vasiliev, along with researchers from the International Laboratory of the Economics of Intangible Assets at the Perm campus of HSE University Pyotr Parshakov and Yulia Naidenova, as well as researcher Igor Tylkin from the European University Viadrina, examined the behavior of esports players in the game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS).

CS is a team-based competitive online shooter. Matches feature two teams of five players each. Typically, matches consist of 1–5 maps, which in turn are made up of short rounds. To win a round, a team must either complete a specific objective or eliminate the opposing team. Usually, 30 rounds are played on a single map during competitions. A team wins the map by securing at least 16 rounds. In the event of a tie, additional rounds are played: if the score is 15:15, overtime begins. The behavior and performance of players during overtime became the focus of the researchers' study.

The authors analyzed statistics from nearly a million games played between 2012 and 2022, involving both high-ranked and low-ranked players. The sample included over 1,700 esports athletes. The researchers utilized two key metrics.

The first metric is individual performance, which included player ratings (calculated as the deviation of their performance in tournament matches from their average results) and the percentage of accurate shots. These metrics reflect the skill level under challenging conditions. The second metric is team coordination, specifically instances of "friendly fire" (inflicting damage to teammates).

An increase in friendly fire incidents may indicate tension and communication issues within the team. Pressure and stress were measured by the occurrence of overtimes—additional rounds played to determine a winner in the event of a tied match. As in traditional sports, the outcome during overtime often hinges on every little detail. Furthermore, the authors examined the influence of the game format: whether it was a live event with an audience or an online tournament. Approximately 70% of matches were held online, with overtimes occurring in nine percent of them.

It turned out that overtimes indeed cause significant stress for players. On average, they lead to a decrease in player ratings of nearly two percent, while the percentage of accurate shots dropped by seven percent. This decline was noted among both professionals and novice players. "Our research findings indicate that while experienced players outperform their less experienced counterparts in all game formats, this advantage may diminish during overtime," the authors noted. The likelihood of making mistakes, such as inflicting damage on teammates, also increased. The tournament format plays a significant role. When competitions are held online, without spectators and unnecessary hype, players' results are approximately 30% higher compared to live matches. The researchers attribute this to the psychological factor: the presence of fans intensifies stress.

The scientists emphasize that the research findings can be applied across various fields. For instance, it is essential to consider that the work format (in-person or online) significantly affects stress levels and their impact on team coordination and individual performance. "Esports serves as an excellent platform for testing such effects. Players are required to exhibit high cognitive activity and team coordination, making it a suitable subject for analyzing behavior under pressure. The results obtained could be beneficial for HR departments and crisis management, as well as in areas where teamwork and performance under pressure are crucial, such as IT consulting or startups," the authors comment.