Esports ponders its future after Jacksonville rampage

Worries about pressure, security at forefront

Professional gamers spend hours with eyes glued to a screen, a controller or keyboard at hand, perfecting their digital dexterity for a chance to win – or lose – tens of thousands of dollars. Gaming has transformed into high-stakes, high-stress big business.

In the aftermath of a tragic shooting rampage at a “Madden 19” video game tournament in Jacksonville, Florida, that left three dead and 11 wounded, focus is shifting to the pressure on players and security surrounding these events.

This Madden tournament is just one in a growing competitive video game landscape in which hundreds of thousands of U.S. professional players battle in-person and online for millions of dollars in prize money.

With many major esports events upcoming, players and promoters are seriously reconsidering whether they need to beef up security. Another consideration: Should more attention be paid to the mental stress on players, who can train for more than 40 hours a week? “There can always be better security because the fans’ safety and the players’ safety is of the utmost importance. But at the end of the day, you just don’t expect something like this to happen frequently,” said Mike Rufail, 35, a former professional gamer and founder and CEO of Envy Gaming, a popular esports franchise with more than 540,000 Twitter followers.

In the aftermath of the shooting, Rufail supports doing what’s necessary to protect fans and players. While his teams now play in larger venues that follow similar security measures to ones used for a concert or traditional sports game, he expects a bigger focus going forward across the industry.

❚ The rise of esports: Video games once were considered a solitary experience, with the common stereotype being that of an adolescent boy holed up in his room blasting away at aliens on screen. But esports, or competitive video game playing, has become a cultural, global and co-ed phenomenon.

Multiplayer games such as “Call of Duty” and broadband internet coneral nectivity fueled online gaming to such a level that it has evolved into a lucrative – and, yes, pro – spectator sport.

As many as 41 million Americans currently consider themselves esports viewers, according to research firm Interpret. Globally, about 258 million watched an esports event last year, according to research firm SuperData.

Even though most esports fans are between 18 and 34, 1 in 3 of them are aged 35 to 54, Interpret says. And the number of women esports viewers in the U.S. has doubled from 5 million in 2016 to 10 million today, the firm says.

Spending on esports is growing, with media rights, streaming advertising and ticket sales expected to rise from a $184 million in 2017 to $467 million in 2022, PricewaterhouseCoopers estimates.

❚ Growing corporate and pro sport support: Major corporations, traditional sports leagues and TV networks have caught the esports bug with, notably, AT&T in June partnering with esports operator ESL to have a presence at sev- upcoming events including the ESL One New York event in September“It really also gives us an opportunity to reach that young and diverse audience.” Shiz Suzuki, AT&T’s assistant vice president for corporate sponsorships said at the time.

Indeed, the accounting firm Deloitte said in a recent report that esports offers a way to reach a demographic that has been increasingly beyond the industry’s grasp. And both the players and fans are younger, less likely to watch traditional linear TV and often less interested in professional sports, the report says.

❚ Possible repercussions for the sport: The shooting is likely to have raised concerns among parents who worry about security at such venues.

“And obviously there are screen-time (addiction) concerns because of the needs that you have to go through to actually become a professional,” says Jeff Haynes, senior editor of video games and websites at Common Sense Media. The people who have turned professional “have put in hundreds of thousands of hours just like any athlete. Arguably the only difference is that their time is set in front of a screen versus maybe in a gym or on a practice field or court.”

The payoff: While the salaries vary game by game, stars in the esports world can make seven figures annually, with lower-tier players making $40,000 to $50,000 a year.

“... You just don’t expect something like this to happen frequently.” Mike Rufail Former professional gamer and founder and CEO of Envy Gaming on the shooting

ESL AT&T is getting into mobile video game competitions, partnering with ESL. As many as 41 million Americans currently consider themselves esports viewers.