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Esports (short for electronic sports) is organized competitive video gaming in which electronic systems are central to how the contest is played, and players and teams take part through human-computer interfaces. The motive that recurs most consistently in the evidence is competition, followed closely by social connection. Entertainment, achievement, self-presentation, and escapism also appear, but how much each matters varies from player to player.
What counts as esports
A widely cited academic definition comes from Juho Hamari and Max Sjöblom, whose 2017 article in Internet Research states: “We define eSports (electronic sports) as a form of sports where the primary aspects of the sport are facilitated by electronic systems; the input of players and teams as well as the output of the eSports system are mediated by human-computer interfaces.”
In practical terms, esports is competitive video gaming with a formal structure. Playing a game casually, alone, or without any competitive element is not esports participation by itself. Where the line falls depends on how a given study or event defines participation, so the definition behind any claim about “esports players” should be stated.
Why people play
Two 2025 studies with different designs offer the clearest recent picture. Their samples and methods differ, so the table below sets out what each one measured before the individual motives are discussed.
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| Feature | Mixed-method study (Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 2025) | Comparative study (Comprehensive Psychiatry, 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Sample | 60 Taiwanese esports players wrote open-ended essays; 328 esports players completed a survey | 14,727 gamers: 557 esports players, 5,101 recreational players, and 9,069 highly engaged gamers |
| How esports players were identified | Not stated in the published summary | Self-reported participation in esports competitions at least six times in the prior year |
| Motives examined | Entertainment, escapism, achievement, self-presentation, social interaction | Competition, social, stimulation, mastery, and immersion/escapism |
| What it found | Motives positively influenced dedication and enthusiasm, which in turn related to intention to keep playing | Esports players, compared with recreational players, were associated with stronger competition and social motives and lower stimulation motives; compared with highly engaged gamers, they showed stronger competition and social motives and lower mastery, stimulation, and immersion/escapism motives |
The mixed-method study grouped its five motives as utilitarian, hedonic, and social gratifications. Its participants were Taiwanese, so the findings describe that group rather than players worldwide.
Competition
Competition is the motive with the most direct support. In the comparative study, esports players reported stronger competition motives than both recreational players and highly engaged gamers. That gap is what separates people who compete from people who simply play a lot, which is why competition is the clearest marker of esports participation in that data.
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Social connection
Social interaction appears in both 2025 studies. The mixed-method study lists it among the five motives driving continued play, and the comparative study found social motives stronger in esports players than in recreational players and highly engaged gamers. Social motives are therefore a repeated finding, though the studies measured them in different ways.
Entertainment, achievement, and self-presentation
The mixed-method study identified entertainment, achievement, and self-presentation as motives for continuing to play. Those findings come from a single study of Taiwanese players, and the comparative study did not report them under these labels, so they should be read as credible but less widely replicated.
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Escapism
Escapism is reported in both directions. The mixed-method study listed it as a motive for continuing to play, but the comparative study found lower immersion/escapism motives in esports players than in highly engaged gamers. A reasonable reading is that escapism is not a defining feature of competitive players, although it may still matter to individuals.
Why people watch is a separate question
Motives for watching esports are not the same as motives for playing. In a 2017 online spectating study of 888 respondents, Hamari and Sjöblom found that escapism, acquiring knowledge about the games, novelty, and the perceived aggressiveness of esports athletes each positively predicted how often people watched. Those findings concern spectators, not players, and they should not be used to explain why someone competes.
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Who counts as an esports player
Because the labels depend on definitions, a few checks help when reading any claim about esports players:
- Check whether the study counts players by self-reported competition, by a frequency threshold, or by another measure. The comparative study used at least six esports competitions in the prior year.
- Check the sample’s country and size. The mixed-method study’s participants were Taiwanese, and the comparative study’s esports group is defined by self-report.
- Check whether the study describes motives that caused participation or motives that were associated with it. Most studies in this area measure associations.
What the evidence does not establish
The field is still young. A 2018 systematic review published in the Journal of Gambling Studies identified only eight studies across the esports psychology areas it covered, which included player development, player characteristics and motivations, and spectator motivations, and it described the field as preliminary. Newer studies have added evidence, but their samples, countries, and operational definitions differ, which limits direct comparison.
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- No single reason explains all players. The studies describe groups and samples, not a universal motive.
- The evidence reviewed here does not establish that competitive gaming is universally beneficial or harmful.
- The comparative study also measured gaming disorder symptoms. That topic lies outside the question of why people play, and this article does not draw conclusions from it.
Sources
- Hamari, Juho, and Max Sjöblom. “What is eSports and why do people watch it?” Internet Research 27(2), 2017. DOI: 10.1108/IntR-04-2016-0085.
- “Personality, motivations, and gaming disorder symptoms: A large-scale comparative study of esports players, highly engaged gamers, and recreational players.” Comprehensive Psychiatry 142, 2025. DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2025.152623.
- “Why do players continue playing esports? A mixed-method study based on uses and gratifications theory.” Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics 37(8), 2025. DOI: 10.1108/APJML-10-2024-1548.
- “The Psychology of Esports: A Systematic Literature Review.” Journal of Gambling Studies, 2018. PubMed record: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29508260/
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