Last Updated on January 25, 2024 by Gamesver Team and JC Franco
Like traditional sports, many people realize the inherent benefits and advantages of Esports. These benefits and advantages are a unique combination of health benefits, social benefits, and skills development, all of which can be accessed by people of varying physical capabilities.
Whether you are an active player or simply a fan of Esports and their communities, there are many benefits and advantages one can enjoy by interacting with Esports. These benefits combine hard skills, soft skills, and social benefits, which are accessible to people of all ages!
Although some Esports have gotten bad press recently, it would be amiss to suggest they offer no benefits/advantages to their players and communities. To illustrate these positives, the following benefits/advantages of Esports will be discussed in further detail below:
1. Esports Are A Flexible Way To Play Alone Or With Others
Most of the top Esports like League of Legends and Apex: Legends require teams to work together to secure victory. Therefore, this is an excellent way of playing video games for people who enjoy cooperation and playing with others.
However, there is a host of other Esports, mainly in the fighting and real-time strategy genres like Street Fighter and Starcraft, that allow players to play by themselves. These games are better suited to people who prefer developing individual strategies and competing in one vs. one matches.
2. Esports Improve Communication Skills
Because various Esports require communication between teammates, they are an excellent way to build confidence and improve one’s communication skills. Furthermore, the community around different Esports allows people to make friends and colleagues with like-minded people.
3. Esports Expose People To Other Cultures And Beliefs
Further to the above benefit of improving one’s communication skills and meeting other like-minded people is that Esports are a global phenomenon. Therefore, Esports are a fantastic vehicle to expose players to different people worldwide.
Therefore, whether it’s as teammates, competitors, or through Esports forums/streaming sites, Esports exposes people to other cultures and the importance of respecting each other.
4. Esports Improve Understanding of Cause And Effect
Many Esports are known to be unforgiving, where commitment to a situation in a game can have dire consequences for yourself and your team. Therefore, all decisions made in Esports need to be well thought out and communicated between teammates to avoid disaster!
5. Esports Help Players Develop Planning Skills
Regardless of the genre of Esports being played, it is essential to understand the mechanics of a game, the current “meta,” your strengths and weaknesses, and the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition.
In conclusion, Esports teach players to plan and strategize before competitions.
6. Esports Improve Quick Thinking Skills
Although most Esports require players to plan and strategize ahead, many Esports need players to implement quick-thinking skills and moves.
Therefore, Esports reward players that work on improving their decisive problem-solving skills to change/alter strategies that may be unsuccessful or that need to be realigned.
7. Esports Improve One’s Ability To Remain Calm
Many Esports can be stressful games where things can quickly fall apart for yourself or your team. Therefore, remaining calm throughout a session is essential while playing a game, taking stock if you find yourself falling behind.
In conclusion, Esports help people learn how to stay calm in stressful situations with practice and hard work.
8. Esports Teach Players How To Learn From Mistakes
Whether you are playing competitively or casually with a group of friends, most Esports have steep learning curves and skill ceilings.
Furthermore, the speed at which Esports are played means that you will inevitably make mistakes that may cost you and your team a victory. It takes the best players to remain calm, take stock, and learn from their mistakes when they lose.
9. Esports Teach Sportsmanship And Humility
Since their growing popularity in the 21st century, Esports leagues are doing their best to promote professionalism and sportsmanship among their communities, similar to traditional sports leagues. Consequently, Esports are an excellent space to develop a sense of sportsmanship and team camaraderie.
Furthermore, Esports teaches players the importance of respect in defeat and humility in victory.
10. Esports Teach Persistence And Patience
Because most Esports have a high skill ceiling and learning curve, players need to be patient and persistent when developing their skills, as it’s unlikely that they will be competitive without tenacity and hard work.
Furthermore, while some Esports are action-packed and fast-paced, other games are long-drawn-out affairs, where remaining focused for long periods is the sign of a top player.
11. Improve One’s Spatial Awareness
Whether you play an Esport that requires spatial awareness on a micro-level, such as knowing hitboxes in fighting games, or on a macro-level, such as map awareness in real-time strategy games, all Esports require players to have a detailed understanding of their surroundings.
12. Esports Teach The Importance Of Practice
A critical difference between traditional sports and esports is the tendency for Esports to drastically change from season to season. Top Esports usually change mechanics, variables, rules, and regulations through patch notes.
These constant changes do consistent practice, and keeping up with the news is vital for competitive Esports.
13. Esports Improve Accessibility To Sport/Competition
Most traditional sports are inaccessible to many people with disabilities, limited funds, or reduced coordination. Therefore, Esports is an excellent avenue for people to access sport and competition that doesn’t require travel or extensive financial investment and is more accommodating to people with physical disabilities.
14. Esports Have Many Career Options
E-sports can be a potential career path for many players. Although most top earners are professional athletes, there are also many roles Esports stakeholders can follow.
15. Esports Are A Safe Space For Neurodivergent People
Because Esports are mostly played online and can be enjoyed without the need for “small talk,” many neurodivergent people have found Esports and their communities to be safe and inviting spaces.
Although there are still issues regarding “toxic” Esports communities, many leagues and developers are putting measures in place to reduce instances of cyberbullying and other harmful player interactions.
16. Esports Improves Reflexes And Hand-Eye Coordination
Fast-paced video game genres such as first-person shooters or fighting games require twitch reflexes and advanced hand-eye coordination to succeed in competitive Esports.
Nearly all genres of Esports, even one’s you wouldn’t expect, like MOBAs, have been shown to improve players’ reflexes over time.
17. Esports Improves Problem Solving Skills
While Esports that require a nuanced understanding of multiple systems, such as the role of resource management and population caps in real-time strategy games, are the most common example of problem-solving skills in action.
Most Esports require problem-solving before, during, and after gaming sessions to allow players to preempt opposing strategies, adapt existing strategies, and re-valuate their plays after a gaming session during debriefing.
18. Esports Is A Fun Lifetime Hobby
Finally, and most importantly, Esports are inherently fun and exciting hobbies. Whether you enjoy Esports casually or competitively and competing or simply being a member of the community, different Esports provide various options for a person to enjoy throughout their lifetime!
Last Word
Various Esports focus on teamwork and strategy, coupled with more significant lessons of humility, patience, persistence, and tolerance. Therefore, Esports offers some lifelong benefits/players for players and fans to enjoy!
This article was co-authored by our team of in-house and freelance writers, and reviewed by our editors, who enjoy sharing their knowledge about their favorite games with others!
JC Franco
JC Franco serves as a New York-based editor for Gamesver. His interest for board games centers around chess, a pursuit he began in elementary school at the age of 9. Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Business from Mercyhurst University, JC brings a blend of business acumen and creative insight to his role. Beyond his editorial endeavors, he is a certified USPTA professional, imparting his knowledge in tennis to enthusiasts across the New York City Metropolitan area.