Extended Reality in Esports: Opportunities, Challenges and Future Research Avenues - An Experts' Perspective

The ongoing development of extended reality (XR) technologies and the growing popularity of the esports industry suggest a future integration of XR in esports. However, research on the integration of the technologies in esport is sparse. Thus, the aim of this study is to investigate the opportunities and challenges of XR technologies in esports based on an explorative approach, relying on qualitative research methods and interviews with experts from the esports industry. The results show that XR technologies allow to significantly improve the spectator and player experience as well as processes in the event planning. In order to fully exploit this potential, it is crucial (1) to optimize the XR experience through the development of new, competitive XR games, (2) provide access to advanced hardware for an XR esports community to unfold, and (3) to establish XR collaboration formats and expertise in the esports industry. Furthermore, extensive research efforts are required to validate the promised advantages which are synthesized in suggestions for future research avenues.