2??0??2??4?? — Guest Writer Recap, and Thank You Message.

As 2024 is coming to an end, it's time to say thank you to all the amazing guest episode writers, and highlight their work once more in a short summary. From professional gamer to scientist, from psychology to law, from RTS to card game... this year, we had it all! ??

?? Théo 'PtitDrogo' Freydièr: Managing Expectations

As a former StarCraft 2 progamer, Théo kicked us off with by talking about his career transition, managing his own expectations, his mindset, and motivation. The topic of moving on from playing professionally is a permanent issue for professional players. As Théo said it himself: "However, gaming is not studying, and since I’ve started exploring software engineering, I’ve had to face a lot of harsh realities."

?? Alexandre 'FunKa' Verrier: The State of Esport Casting

Second was Alexandre, who talked about the new approach game developers are taking in esports to increase their numbers. This new approach of allowing allowing secondary streams alongside the official broadcasts, as well as having influencer—even those from outside the scene—streaming the competition.

?? Nikita 'SKillous' Gurevich: The Importance of Mindset

In the third guest episode, professional StarCraft II player from Team Liquid talked about how his mindset was an obstacle to him and his performance. In addition, he shared how working with a mental coach helped him to overcome those issues. He also shared a list of issues he personally overcame that helped him to grow on a personal level and improve his performance.

?? Paulo 'CatZ' Vizcarra: Playing to your Strengths and Choosing your Fight

Paulo, a caster, team captain, streamer, former StarCraft 2 progamer, and now ZeroSpace game developer took us on a journey through this career, and how everybody has to choose their own fight.

?? Stefan 'Pengy' Mott: Tournament Marathon Tips and Tricks—How to Stay Mentally Sharp

Stefan, a former esports team captain, caster, and now competitive Pokémon Video Game Circuit (VGC) player, shared some of his tips and tricks that serve him well as a professional player to stay mentally sharp throughout long and draining tournament days. From a good night's rest, knowing when and how to eat, to balancing competition and social engagements—his tips cover some of the basics for a great performance.

??? Kevin 'MapuTV' Kremser: The Art of Observing—Elevating Esports Production

In this episode, Kevin shared his experience as a professional observer in esports, and how his work contributes to a better viewing experience for us, the viewers at home. Specifically, he explains the nuances of professional observing, such as how to use the game environment optimally, decision-making, and choosing the best settings.

?? Gabriel 'HeroMarine' Segat: Building the Perfect Routine—The Training Routine that Drives My Success

Gabriel, a professional player and streamer for MOUZ, touched on a very important aspect of every progamer: training. He shared why and how, in 2022, he changed his training routine, the problems that came with it, and what his routine is today. Furthermore, Gabriel highlighted important aspects of his routine, how it helped him to get in better shape—in-game, mentally, and physically—and how he maintains his balance.

"StarCraft 2 is a game of precision, where even a single misstep or miss-click can decide the outcome of a match. That’s why my main focus now is ensuring that I can consistently perform at my A-game level, no matter the circumstances."

?? Dr. Oliver Leis: Turning Pressure into Power—Stress and Coping in Esports

Stress in esports: Is it always bad? No!, says Dr Oliver Leis Leis who is a post-doctoral research assistant, psychologist, and expert in the field of stress, coping in esports and sports in general. In his guest episode, Oliver put together a comprehensive overview of the scientific literature of stress and coping in gaming. He talked about common stressors casual and professional gamers experience, how it impacts performance, and tips of what each of us can do to deal with or even thrive in stressful situations.

?? Dr. Nepomuk Nothelfer: Gaming Meets Law—We Need Esports-Specific Regulations!

Nepomuk Nothelfer 's expertise lies in gaming law, and he has advised, for instance, the EU Parliament, ministries, and federations on esports, while also working as a lawyer. In his episode, he took us on a journey into the complex and diverse world of esports law. How should we approach it, and can esports benefit from it?

In addition, he points out some of the problems the industry faces; "But while in traditional sports these are incorporated into a federation structure, in esports the publisher, as the rights holder, determines the structure of the competition. The publisher combines all exclusive rights of use (relevant for esports) of the intellectual property 'video game' and thus influences all downstream stakeholders in the respective ecosystem." Lastly, he offers ways in how esports could be regulated.

???????? Nina Zweifel: It’s Time for Esports to Rethink its Approach—On Why We Need Integrated Support Teams

Last, but certainly not least, Nina Zweifel —a psychologist and performance coach in gaming—writes about why esports organizations, who are in a dire state, have to rethink their approach regarding their support staff for teams and athletes. As a solution, she offers implementing Integrated Support Teams (IST), similar to traditional sports.

"[ISTs are] multidisciplinary teams provide specialized expertise, offering a more sustainable and impactful way to enhance performance while safeguarding the health and well-being of players."

Many thanks again for the time, effort, knowledge, and insights of all the guest episode writers. I hope each and everyone of you, and them, found/will find their work as interesting and meaningful as I did.

That's it from me for this year. Last but not least, a big thank you as well to all you, the readers. I hope you enjoyed Gaming Science and will read and support me next year as well. Thank you!

Till next year,

Christian ??

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