Should Video Games be considered a Sport?

Should Video Games be considered a Sport?

By: Mitchell Abram

If you’ve ever been to a professional sporting event, you’ve seen the massive arenas, screaming fans, and top-tier equipment. But what about video games? All of these things can be found at professional gaming events, where the best players in the world compete for massive prizes. The similarities are there, but is it time to start considering video games sports?

A common stereotype involving video games seems to be that only lazy, unproductive people play them. However, the amount of practice and dedication it takes to play at a professional level is on par with other athletes. The average professional gamer practices for about 7-9 hours a day, or around 50 hours per week. However, “practice” isn’t just casually playing the game for the entire session. 

The schedule pictured above shows the schedule of professional League of Legends team TSM. This brutal regiment shows the dedication and commitment that professional gamers have for their craft, just like professional athletes.

At the end of the day, the debate boils down to, “What defines a sport?” Is it the skills required? The physical exertion? The competition? I think it’s about time that competitions that aren’t focused on purely physical activity be considered sports too. The dedication, practice, skill, and competition found in professional video game competitions rivals that of athletes and I think more and more people are starting to realize that.