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Page: Esports

Esports is a growing industry in countries such as China and South Korea. Competitive Esports tournaments such as League of Legends pay hundreds to thousands of dollars to players for winning tournaments. Dota 2's 2021 tournament The International, had a prize pool over $40 million and is projected to keep growing, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive had a 2021 prize pool of around $22 million. Financial security is only for players in top preforming teams. One study found that only 1 in 5 professional gamers have careers that last longer than 2 years. Team rosters are extremely volatile, sometimes changing players within a season; franchised teams want only top tier players so that they have a chance to win tournaments.

Players in China may train for almost 14 hours a day. A study conducted in 2022 of CS:GO players found that total hours played were about 31.2 hours each week. Sitting for long periods at a computer could lead to eye fatigue and lower back pain from poor posture. Gamers with poor posture sit in forward head posture which can cause symptoms such as decreased arm or shoulder mobility and tension headaches. These sedentary behaviors of sitting for too long concerns public health researchers because spending more than 6-8 hours per day has been linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. As a result, teams like T1 have partnered with Nike to encourage exercise and provide training that helps improve gaming skills.

In addition to sedentary behaviors, the players' mental health is a concern for scientists. Intense trainings for competitions and pressure on teams to win can lead to high levels of stress. Researchers have found that high levels of stress leads to mental illness and poor decision making. The Esports sector has a high rate of burnout due to mental health and stress. A study found a correlation between depression and training time leading to sleep disturbances. Teams are starting to incorporate mental health support for players. Misfits has hired a psychologist to ensure players are equipped with methods to deal with stress and anxiety.