Games have been known to be casual in games like Minecraft by Mojang Studios where the player simply builds and explore, but gaming can become competitive with games such as Psyonix’s Rocket League. Rocket League has its player control a car with dynamic movement to hit a ball into a goal, like soccer but with cars instead of human players.  Even though video games are in the process of being recognized as a sport by Michigan High School Sports Association according to the Detroit News, there must be differences between video games and regular sports because video games are alienated from physical contact. Is competitive gaming or eSports (electronic sports) considered to be real sports because of video games being virtual based? Two of the four Dakota High School eSports teams called the Rats and the StewMen will give their perspective on competitive gaming and its nuances. 

Alex Bryant, the Captain for the StewMen team, answers some of the questions: 

Question One: What is your experience with the game you specialize in? 

Bryant: I have been playing Rocket League on my Xbox one since July 2016, recently moving over to a gaming pc in September 2020. On Rocket League I have about 2,500 hours played total and I range in the top 1% of players in the world. 

Question Two: What do you find enjoyable about eSports? 

Bryant: I really enjoy the competitiveness factor of the matches and how every series is a best of 5 scenario, meaning after each match, players can talk amongst their teammates and strategize their plans for their next match. 

Question Three: How were the competitive aspects of gaming changing the way you enjoyed video games? 

Bryant: I enjoy video games a lot more when I’m on the winning side and I seeked [sic] this through playing competitive Rocket League. 

Alex Bryant provides some motives behind participating in competitive gaming. He has clocked in 2,500 hours in Rocket League and made his way to 1%. Alex went through the many hours of game time as he enjoys the competitive nature of it, the teamwork that is involved, and satisfying his desire for victory.  

Piotr Gluszcyznski from the Rats team with his response:  

Question Four: How do you prepare for competitive gaming? 

Gluszcyznski: Warmups here and there, huddle with the team, play when I can. 

Question Five: Has eSports been impacted by quarantine?   

Gluszcyznski: Yes, it’s gotten even bigger must I say better. 

Piotr gives more additional information behind the scenes of eSports. Preparations for tournaments involve making as much time as possible for gaming. Participating and committing to eSports is not hindered but improved by quarantine.  

Evan Varga of the Rats team sheds light on competitive gaming:  

Question Six: People may be hesitant to call gaming a real sport despite its many leagues and competitions, how would you justify video games as a legitimate sport? 

Varga: Last year I won a $20,000 scholarship to Lawrence Technological Institute, that’s a lot of money for playing a game I would play anyways. 

Question Seven: What makes it like physical sports? 

Varga: Takes practice, skill, and time. Rewards, competitions. 

Question Eight: What makes video games different than physical sports?   

Varga: Online and more accessible, easier to play a game you can play with friends or by yourself than to try and play sports that require you to be there in person even when playing recreationally. 

Evan Varga displays the qualities of video games as a sport. He notes that even if video games may seem like an unorthodox sport by its virtual setting, it takes practice, skill, and time just like any other sport. Evan has received a $20,000 scholarship to Lawrence Technology Institute for eSports. He believes the difference between eSports and regular sports is that eSports has little in-person contact. Being online lets eSports have more communication and accessibility than its physical sports contemporaries.  

Thus, eSports is an engaging field of sports and acts like physical sports. Competitive gaming gives their participants rewarding games with plenty of teamwork that makes them vie for victory. eSports requires detection, time, and a balanced skillset to succeed. These requirements are met with practicing as much as possible when given the opportunity. This detection can be rewarded with scholarships. Competitive gaming is being boosted and grown by quarantine.  Although physical and electronic sports share the same duties of participants and rewards, virtual sport’s online nature allows more communication between people than in-person sports.