- Question
Does Esports have a legitimate claim to being a sport?
Esports is a video gaming competition played with spectators, typically by professional players. Like many games before it, such as chess, many have come to ask whether it can be classed as a 'sport'. Should the definition of 'sport' include Esports?
Yes, Esports has a legitimate claim at being a sport
This position holds that esports has a legitimate claim to being a sport. It argues esports fits the definition, is already recognised as a sport in several countries, demands genuine skill, and that competitors train just as hard as the traditional athletes who would gain from the status.
No, Esports does not have a legitimate claim at being a sport
This position holds that esports has no legitimate claim to being a sport. It argues that competitive gaming lacks the defining features of sport — meaningful physical exertion — and delivers none of the bodily health benefits that traditional sports provide.
It does not matter if Esports is a sport
This position holds that whether esports counts as a 'sport' does not matter. It argues that esports should be respected as a valuable industry in its own right — a view held by many within it — and that there is no universal definition of sport to settle the question anyway.