Year: 2026
Type: editorial
Abstract: The Research Topic includes five original research articles that span legal doctrinal and economic analysis, portfolio mapping, cross-sectional survey work, and qualitative interviews. Novak et al. address esports winter at its structural core by asking why competitive gaming has struggled to become an independent industry. They show how the legal primacy of game publishers, grounded in intellectual property rights and international treaties, gives publishers full control over competition formats, entry, and monetization. All major esports titles remain under publisher control, and esports functions more as a supplemental marketing tool than a standalone profit engine. Esports winter is therefore interpreted as a market correction following speculative investment and inflated comparisons with traditional sport. Within this structure, stakeholders gain influence less through formal autonomy than through legal literacy, strategic partnerships with publishers, and professional management.Zhu et al. shift attention from law to revenue by mapping sponsorship portfolios in the League of Legends Pro League (LPL). Using data on club and league sponsors, they quantify both continuity and diversification across industry categories. Tencent, as the league operator, exhibits a mature continuity strategy while maintaining a diversified sponsor base, securing more predictable cash flows and preserving the premium value of sponsorship slots. Many clubs, by contrast, display fragmented and short-lived portfolios, and only a minority combine continuity with diversification. What distinguishes these approaches is less competitive success than differences in managerial capacity and strategic orientation. In a volatile environment, clubs with stable and diversified sponsorships gain financial resilience and brand differentiation, while those lacking such capacities remain more exposed.Kurniawan et al. bring the discussion to the level of well-being by examining health risks among professional and casual mobile esports players in Jakarta. In a sample of 94 athletes, roughly two-thirds report musculoskeletal complaints, with the neck, shoulder, hand, and wrist most commonly affected. All participants indicate experiencing at least one eye problem, with eye fatigue especially prevalent. The majority of players report low levels of physical activity and sleep between six and seven hours per night, even though body mass index values are generally normal. The pattern that emerges points to posture, prolonged static play, repetitive movements, and limited recovery as the primary sources of risk. Sustainable practice will require greater attention to ergonomics, structured breaks, physical conditioning, and eye health.Papp et al. examine psychological factors that encourage esports participation by identifying mental characteristics that influence performance among e-athletes. Through focus groups and interviews, they identified 17 relevant traits, with resilience emerging as the most frequently mentioned and central characteristic for becoming and remaining a professional player. These traits cluster into six broader domains: Developmental Motivation, Attentional Skills, Game Intelligence, Perseverance and Stress Management, Motor Skills, and Social Skills. Rather than treating mental skill as a narrow performance variable, the framework repositions high-level play as dependent not only on technical and motor abilities, but also on coping with pressure, sustaining focus, creatively and critically applying game-specific knowledge, and functioning effectively within a team. The clusters map where talent development and psychological training may be most effective, pointing toward developmental pathways that foster more sustainable, resilient careers in esports.Baumann et al. conclude the collection at the grassroots level by examining how volunteer-led esports programs are sustained within Norwegian sports clubs. Interviews with 15 volunteer leaders emphasize the central role of local community impact, with programs frequently described as safe and inclusive spaces for youth who feel disconnected from traditional sport. However, these initiatives often operate with limited institutional support and rely heavily on a small number of individuals. This creates ongoing challenges related to recruitment and resource management. Gaps in esports-specific expertise further constrain program development. Longterm sustainability at the grassroots level depends on stronger support structures, targeted training, and clearer recognition of esports within club sport systems.These studies, when considered holistically, illustrate that esports winter is best understood not as a setback but as a moment of recalibration. They demonstrate that sustainability in esports is shaped by conditions operating at multiple levels of the ecosystem, rather than within any single domain. Addressing sustainability in esports will require coordinated attention across these interconnected dimensions rather than isolated reforms. Doing this work will help clarify what a sustainable future for esports requires and how the field can reinforce the foundations needed to support it.
Institutions: Drexel University, University of Debrecen
Language: English
Topic: Digital Games and Media
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,353
OpenAlex ID: W7122760427