Esports Arenas in the COVID-19 World

The validity of online or digital arenas is something that is regularly debated in the esports industry. As a competitive field that relies so much on technology and digital platforms, surely esports should be one of the trailblazers for championing online events? But still, there are arguments that the definition of an arena just cannot be replicated digitally.

Understandably, this is not one of the most important discussions to currently be having in the industry, so it is very often pushed to the side, which – though frustrating for some creators – makes sense within the overall conversation of such a new and quickly expanding industry. However, this subject was quickly thrown into the spotlight during the early months of 2020.

February 2020 saw the entirety of the world experience the effects of COVID-19, a new, highly contagious coronavirus with potentially fatal symptoms, and by mid-March all of the countries considered to be big players within the esports world (United States of America, South Korea, United Kingdom, China, Sweden, Denmark etc.) found themselves forced to enact unprecedented nationwide lockdown procedures. Due to this, regular events that would usually take place in physical arenas, gathering hundreds of individuals (from fans and staff to players and presenting talent) were forced to move to purely digital broadcasts. Some esports games that would usually utilize LAN methods have had to work with online play, and casters and presenters who would usually witness and comment on games from mere metres from the players have moved to streaming their commentary from their bedrooms or personal offices.

The transition to this abnormal setup, however, was made easier by some of the amusing coverage it led to! For example, without the use of any of their many Homestand Arenas, the Overwatch League found themselves unable to reveal their weekly ‘hero bans’ through their conventional method. Due to this, Nori and Miso (cats owned by one of the League’s casters, Soe Gschwind) were given the power of selecting Week 9’s Hero Pool, making for some amusing and highly adorable viewing (Beckhelling, 2020)!

OWL caster Soe enlists kitty caster, Nori, to help select the Hero Pool for Week 9. Credit: YouTube.

              However, whilst a lot of esports events that moved online seem to run successfully, this does not inherently mean that they utilize online arenas. Simply streaming tournaments and leagues online is very different to being able to label a stream as an online arena. But where is this line drawn? What defines an arena? And, more specifically, is it possible to even judge this online?

              It is certainly worth noting that while definitions are a useful and simple basis for discussions, they do develop and change with time. For example, Claridge’s archaeological guide to Rome (1998) states that the initial word-based meaning of ‘arena’ actually comes from the Latin name for the fine sand used on the floor of ancient Colosseums to soak up blood. Obviously, this is significantly outdated compared to the definition that Oxford dictionary provides online now;

“a place with a flat open area in the middle and seats around it where people can watch sports and entertainment” (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 2020)

              Just like the Romans’ blood-soaked sand, isn’t it more than possible that the seemingly ‘modern’ definition of an arena is already outdated? With the progresses in technology in recent years, there really is less and less separating the world’s physical and digital events. With the real time experience of conversation through stream-accompanying chats, like Twitch chat, the arena atmosphere that was previously missing through streamed coverage of events is replicated in digital form. Many viewers enjoy watching the chat alongside the game stream, particularly during this time of loneliness and isolation for many.

              Surely, it could be argued that the fact so many esports events are continuing through this time with so few large-scale changes is an endorsement for the validity of digital arenas. Potentially, a new definition of ‘arena’ could be created from a checklist of elements required for viewing experience (as it seems widely agreed upon that the backbone of an arena is its potential for entertainment and audience enjoyment). If an event brings a similar experience to its audience, it could be said that it maintains its ‘arena’ location definition, whether digital or physical.

              There is no doubt that as the COVID-19 situation develops, the esports world will continue to build on this debate more and more, but for now we ask; if an event is hosted somewhere that encompasses:

- interactive audience
- enthusiastic commentary
- visual and audial technology
- and a central focus on the entertainment itself

isn’t that what truly makes it an arena event?

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Beckhelling, I., 2020. A Cat Picked This Week’S Hero Pools For The Overwatch League. [online] Rock Paper Shotgun. Available at: <https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/03/31/a-cat-picked-this-weeks-hero-pools-for-the-overwatch-league/> [Last Accessed 19 April 2020].

Claridge, Amanda, 1998. Rome: An Oxford Archaeological Guide (First ed.). Oxford, UK: Oxford

University Press, 1998. pp. 276–282.

OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com. 2020. Arena Noun - Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. [online] Available at: <https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/arena?q=arena> [Last Accessed 19 April 2020].