Stress in Esports: A Qualitative Study on The Interplay of Player Experiences and Organizational Systems

Abstract

Video games are designed for enjoyment and can benefit players, but in competitive settings such as esports they may lead to stress, a significant concern for players and coaches in competitive play due to potential negative psychological, social, and physical impacts. Since esports players are mostly adolescents and young adults, the vulnerability of their age underscores the need to investigate their stress experience. To this aim, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 16 First-Person Shooter (FPS) players and coaches (mean age 22.2) across A- to C-tiers. We examined players’ subjective stress experiences, team dynamics, and the broader esports organizational context. Findings reveal the players’ ability to recognize their stress signals and to make sense of stressful events, along with a stronger reliance on individual coping strategies over team-based or organizational resources, which remain largely inaccessible. Finally, we propose design strategies to strengthen esports players’ resilience and coping capacity in stressful environments.