Video games are no longer confined to teenagers’ bedrooms and arcades. In arenas across the world, superstar players compete for six-figure prize pots watched by thousands of adoring fans.
At the 2018 Asian Games, currently taking place in Indonesia, video gamers are competing for the first time alongside athletes, swimmers and weightlifters. The International Olympic Committee is reportedly considering introducing esports at the summer games in 2024.
Will Heaven went to IEM Katowice 2018 in Poland, to find out more about esports, what it takes to compete at the highest level, and why gamers should be considered athletes.