Australian esports researchers get AIS funding

The bar for esports to be recognized as a “legitimate” sport has been raised significantly with the investment in the future of esports by one of Australia’s largest sports organizations.

Southern Cross University in New South Wales has received the first Australian Institute of Sport-funded grant to study the growing field of esports and develop a model for future professional gamers.

The researcher of the Institute’s Department of Health, Dr. Dylan Poulus, who will lead the $37,000 project over 12 months, said the grant challenges perceptions of what counts as a sport.

“I’ve been involved with esports for five years, and this grant reflects contemporary thinking about the nature and perception of esports,” he said. “Esports continue to grow exponentially, with competitive leagues for multiplayer games like League of Legends, DOTA 2 and Counter-Strike attracting huge prize pools and millions of dollars in global audiences and fan groups.”

Australia jumps into esports research

In 2021, the Dota 2 International Championship prize pool was nearly $60 million and attracted millions of viewers from around the world. In June this year, the inaugural Esports Olympiad will be held in Singapore, and there are hopes that the sport will be included in the schedule of future world sporting events.

Poulus said: “Luck is not an important element in these games. As with any other sport, performance and results are determined by the ability to make complex decisions and perform under extreme pressure.

“We don’t yet know what makes the best gamers in the world. So we will be speaking to the best coaches, players and industry experts to create a performance model that could then be applied to Australia’s competitive future in esports – perhaps even to competing at the Brisbane Olympics in 2032,” he added. Former professional player and current FIFA coach Zackary Marceau welcomed the announcement of the funding.

“The AIS grant to the esports industry in Australia is a big step in the right direction and should help close the gap in support for esports athletes compared to traditional athletes. This in turn would allow our esports athletes to perform at the highest level because they get the right development with all the research behind it to push our athletes to peak performance not only physically but also mentally and give them the right conditions, to thrive.”

Professionals should be better promoted

dr Poulus and his research colleague Dr. Kyle Bennett will work with the Federation University, UTAS and the University of Groningen in partnership with Guinevere Esports, the largest investor in Australian esports.

You’ll prepare a high-performance system to discover what it takes to be a successful esports athlete and work with aspiring professionals to identify these key factors so athletes can better prepare for competitions. To do this, they will interview professionals, coaches, organizations etc. at national and international level.

“We don’t yet know what makes the best gamers in the world. So we will be speaking to the best coaches, players and industry experts to create a performance model that could then be applied to Australia’s competitive future in esports – perhaps even to competing at the Brisbane Olympics in 2032,” said Poulus. Former professional player and current FIFA coach Zackary Marceau welcomed the announcement of the funding.

“The AIS grant to the esports industry in Australia is a big step in the right direction and should help close the gap in support for esports athletes compared to traditional athletes. This in turn would allow our esports athletes to perform at the highest level because they get the right development with all the research behind it to push our athletes to peak performance not only physically but also mentally and give them the right conditions, to thrive.”

Professionals should be better promoted

Poulus and his research colleague Kyle Bennett will work with the Federation University, UTAS and the University of Groningen in partnership with Guinevere Esports, the largest investor in Australian esports.

They’ll prepare a high-performance system to discover what it takes to be a successful esports athlete and work with aspiring professionals to identify these key factors so athletes can better prepare for competitions. To do this, they will interview professionals, coaches, organizations etc. at national and international level.