Frontiers in psychology · 2026
From play to profession: understanding the professionalization of e-sports athletes from a civilizing process perspective.
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Hu Wei-Jie, He Cong-Hui
Аннотация
INTRODUCTION: Despite the rapid expansion of the e-sports industry in terms of economic scale, tournament systems, and professional demand, the issues of identity transformation, bodily discipline, emotional management, and their associated alienation during the professionalization of e-sports athletes remain insufficiently discussed. Grounded in Elias's theory of the civilizing process, this study aims to explore the professionalization process of e-sports athletes as they transition from amateur players to professional competitors, as well as the relationships among social constraints, bodily practices, and emotional internalization within the digital competitive arena.
METHODS: Using historical analysis, case study, and semi-structured interviews, this study takes current and former professional e-sports athletes in China as empirical subjects.
RESULTS: The study reveals three civilizing mechanisms in the professionalization process of e-sports athletes, namely the institutionalization of identity, the rationalization of bodily discipline, and the internalization of emotional management. The findings indicate that the professional development of e-sports athletes is driven by interdependency networks composed of capital, leagues, clubs, data platforms, and fan communities, with digital technology serving as a mediator to facilitate the transformation from external constraints to individual self-constraint.
DISCUSSION: The study points out that the professionalization of e-sports also faces dilemmas such as the alienation of bodily discipline, imbalance in power dependency, and lack of health protection. This study proposes that a sustainable support mechanism for the professional development of e-sports athletes should be improved from two aspects, which are a dual-dimensional health protection system encompassing both physical and psychological aspects, and the enhancement of individual subjectivity.
METHODS: Using historical analysis, case study, and semi-structured interviews, this study takes current and former professional e-sports athletes in China as empirical subjects.
RESULTS: The study reveals three civilizing mechanisms in the professionalization process of e-sports athletes, namely the institutionalization of identity, the rationalization of bodily discipline, and the internalization of emotional management. The findings indicate that the professional development of e-sports athletes is driven by interdependency networks composed of capital, leagues, clubs, data platforms, and fan communities, with digital technology serving as a mediator to facilitate the transformation from external constraints to individual self-constraint.
DISCUSSION: The study points out that the professionalization of e-sports also faces dilemmas such as the alienation of bodily discipline, imbalance in power dependency, and lack of health protection. This study proposes that a sustainable support mechanism for the professional development of e-sports athletes should be improved from two aspects, which are a dual-dimensional health protection system encompassing both physical and psychological aspects, and the enhancement of individual subjectivity.