The barrier to esports being regarded as a "legitimate" sport has been given a huge nudge with one of Australia's biggest sporting bodies investing in its future.
Southern Cross University has received the first grant funded by the Australian Institute of Sport to study the growing field of esports - the competitive playing of video games - and to develop a model for future elite players.
Faculty of Health early career researcher Dr Dylan Poulus, who will lead the $37,000 project over 12 months, said the grant challenged the perception of what is considered a sport.
"I have been involved with esports for the past five years and this grant reflects contemporary thinking around the nature and perception of sport," Dr Poulus said.
"Esports continue to grow exponentially, with competition leagues for multi-player games such as League of Legends, DOTA 2 and Counter Strike attracting huge prizemoney and global audiences and fan groups in the millions."
In 2021, the prize pool for the DOTA 2 international championship was almost $60 million, and attracted millions of spectators from around the world.
This June, the first Esports Olympics will be held in Singapore, with hopes the sports may be added to the program for future world sport events.
Dr Poulus said: "Luck is not a major element in these games. Like any sport, performance and outcomes are determined by your 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 talk to the best coaches, players and industry experts to build a model of performance which might then be applied towards Australia's competitive future in esports - perhaps even inclusion in the Brisbane Olympic Games in 2032," Dr Poulus said.
Former elite player and current elite FIFA coach Zackary Marceau welcomed the funding announcement.
"The AIS grant towards the esports industry in Australia is a massive step in the right direction and one which should help bridge the gap in the support which esports athletes get in comparison to traditional sports athletes. This would in turn allow our esports athletes to perform at the highest level as they will be receiving the right development with all the research behind it to not only make our athletes perform at their best not only physically but also mentally and put them in the right conditions to thrive."
Dr Poulus and fellow researcher Dr Kyle Bennett will collaborate with Federation University, UTAS and the University of Groningen in partnership with Guinevere Esports, the biggest investor in esports in Australia.
They will prepare an Australian High-Performance system to learn what it takes to be a successful esport athlete, working with stakeholders and emerging athletes to identify these key factors so that athletes are better prepared for future international competitions.
They will interview elite esport athletes, coaches, team owners, and support staff both nationally and internationally.
"The project aims to develop a model of esports performance that will inform how the Australian Institute of Sport develops future elite esport players. This is the first time the AIS has funded esports-related research and could reflect the rapid growth of esports competitions and research on an international stage," Dr Poulus said.
Dr Poulus currently supports and consults various professional Australian teams, including League of Legends Team Bliss in Brisbane and Dire Wolves in Sydney. He has previously consulted international teams.