The Esports Research Network Conference 2024 Overview
Conference Report by Eva Nikolova
From the 30th October to the 1st of November, esports enthusiasts, industry professionals, scholars and researchers from all around the world gathered at the Staffordshire University London for the ERNC2024. As the esports ecosystem continues to evolve, the conference explored themes such as the dynamic intersections between gaming cultures, competitive play, sustainability, diversity & inclusion, and spectatorship within the esports ecosystem. The presentations, panels, and keynote talks provided innovative ideas and valuable insights for the future of esports!
Keynote speakers
For the opening of the conference, we welcomed keynote Dr. Brett Abarbanel. Dr. Abarbanel is the Executive Director of the UNLV International Gaming Institute and an Associate Professor in the UNLV William F. Harrah College of Hospitality. She also holds an affiliate position at the University of Sydney Science, Brain, & Mind Centre. Her academic focus includes video games, esports and gambling, sports betting, operations and technology, and responsible gambling.
Dr. Abarbanel serves on numerous boards and committees for industry, government, and non-profits. She is a founding director of the Nevada Esports Alliance and an inaugural member of the Nevada Gaming Control Board’s Esports Technical Advisory Committee. Her favourite games include Teamfight Tactics and daily crosswords.
Dr. Abarbanel’s talk “The Bettor Part of Valor(ant)” explored the long history of gambling and chance in human life and games. She discussed the convergence of gambling and gaming from esports, sports, and gambling perspectives. Key topics included esports betting, its role in the esports ecosystem, skill games, game integrity, data rights in esports, and future research for a sustainable relationship between esports and gambling.
On the second day of the conference we welcomed our next keynote, Dr. Emma Witkowski. Dr. Witkowski is a Senior Lecturer at RMIT University, specializing in high-performance games and esports cultures. She earned her PhD from IT University of Copenhagen. She teaches game cultures and esports production within the Game Design program at RMIT.
Her research focuses on esports associationism and esports at major events, and she's writing a book on esports influenced by sports. Emma has extensive industry and non-profit experience, serving on various esports boards. She has held roles such as esports director at ORDER Esports and currently advises on community and fan cultures for a digital motorsport platform.
Additionally, Emma consults with governments on esports initiatives, covering digital safety, youth protection, infrastructure for events, and esports tourism.
Dr. Witkowski’s talk “Collisions, Context, and Coming Together: Exploring the Intersection of Traditional Sports and Esports” examined the influence of traditional sports on esports, focusing on global changes and social organization within competitive video gaming. It covered key cases of stakeholder interactions, labour dynamics at different levels, challenges to elite participation, tensions between volunteerism and corporate sports, and constraints from established frameworks. The talk ultimately reflected on how partnerships and collisions with sports contribute to creating inclusive "esports for all."
For the closing of the conference, keynote Anna Baumann presented “Beyond the Agora: Esports and the Fractured Dream of a Unified Society - A Modern Phaedrus Revisited”.
Anna, initially set on an academic career in competition law and digital industries, discovered esports through playing League of Legends. She transitioned from academia to open the first private law practice dedicated to esports, attracting top clients like Fnatic. She focused on professionalizing the esports industry, advising on labor law, player well-being, and commercial standards, and supported the founding of the German Esports Association.
In 2018, Anna became the Managing Director at Rogue, achieving success by developing top players and implementing new approaches, including a 50/50 gender split in support staff. Promoted to SVP Esports, she led one of the largest esports teams across three continents. By the end of 2023, Anna returned to her roots as an attorney at law.
Esports began with a vision to reshape society, where men and women could compete equally, fostering global unity through digital competition. It was seen as a rapidly growing sector with financial promise and fair governance. However, the current reality is different. Female representation at top levels is limited, financial struggles are common, and new tensions arise with Saudi Arabia's dominance in hosting major esports events. Anna’s talk assessed these developments, and focused on key challenges such as governance issues, cultural conflicts, publisher-driven dynamic and financial pressures.
In addition to keynote talks and presentations, the ERNC included multiple panels, and industry talks which shed light on a range of topics such as:
The evolution of esports in education – sharing insights on curriculum in and around esports, student engagement, and professional development
Human computer interaction – focusing on stakeholders in the esports domain, including spectators, team players, managers, and broadcasters.
Personal histories in esports – careers and achievements of professionals in the industry, and how they have left their mark on esports.
Esports legislation – exploring the industry’s complex and rapidly evolving nature and discussing key themes such as intellectual property and the relationship between game publishers and national governing bodies.
Attendee feedback
Attendees praised the conference for the value it brought to the esports ecosystem, the networking opportunities and ability to connect with industry professionals, and the pleasure of having the ability to share their work with fellow researchers and enthusiasts.
“ Looking forward to the connections that have been made during the event, and looking even more forward to the next edition!”
“It has been a pleasure for us to collaborate with you again”
“Huge thanks to the Esports Research Network team”
“This was my second time together with the masterminds of international esports research, and I truly felt good”
“Feeling so grateful I get to attend events like these as part of my job”
“Attending the Esports Research Network Conference in London last week was an incredible experience!”
“It was a pleasure to meet new people, those you follow and learn from in person, and solidify present connections”
“What an incredible day of learning from and connecting with the brilliant minds in esports from all over the world!“
The Esports Research Network Conference 2024 was a milestone event, bigger than any previous ERNC, and full of valuable insights, innovative ideas, and exciting research which all serve to shape the future and direction of esports.