Risk Issues in Esports Events: A Proposal for a Research Framework

Online gaming or esports has become extremely popular nowadays. As esports popularity increases, the trend of esports events has also been increasing around the world and all major esports stakeholders such as players, organizers, sponsors, teams and broadcasters are taking this opportunity to step up and shine. People participated and watched esports as a form of entertainment until it is now one of the most popular sports in the world. Players are now fighting to be professional players while event organizers take the opportunity to organize more esports events. However, with no specific policy or guideline regarding esports, many issues and risks could arise especially among the major esports stakeholders. Without proper planning on risk management, not only players but all major stakeholders in esports events could be at great risk. To address the gap, this research will explore major esports event stakeholders and identify risks associated with esports events from the stakeholders’ perspective. The proposed research will first need to explore the esports stakeholders in its preliminary stage and continue with addressing the risks and issues for all major stakeholders at the secondary stage. Methodically, this exploratory research will apply focus study interviews and case studies as its main method of investigation. The framework can later help all esports events stakeholders enhance their planning process through a proper risk management plan. It will also benefit the government in the development of policy regarding esports events.