In this blog post, we’ll examine various arguments regarding whether video games can be classified as sports, while exploring the similarities and differences between video games and traditional sports.

The Growth of the Gaming Industry and the Rise of Esports

Currently, South Korea is one of the countries with the most well-developed gaming industry infrastructure in the world. Internet accessibility is excellent, with high-speed internet available in most regions nationwide, and this environment has had a significant impact on the growth of the gaming industry. In particular, as internet penetration expanded rapidly in the early 2000s, internet-based computer games began to gain popularity quickly. As a result, the play culture among young students gradually changed, with more time spent playing computer games than engaging in outdoor play.
Of course, arcade games and video game consoles existed even before the widespread adoption of the internet. However, arcades were a form of entertainment limited to specific locations. In contrast, once the internet became widespread, people could play games anytime and anywhere, causing the influence of gaming to grow overnight. Coupled with steady advancements in computer performance, game graphics and overall quality improved significantly, leading to the emergence of games so realistic that it became difficult to distinguish between reality and the virtual world.
As gaming evolved in this way, the gaming market also grew significantly, centered on one of gaming’s primary goals: “beating the opponent”—that is, the competitive element. Tournaments to select the best gamers in various games began to be held, and with the emergence of dedicated gaming broadcast channels, live TV broadcasts and the culture of in-person spectators also flourished. These changes served as a catalyst for the gaming market to grow into a full-fledged industry.
The 2004 “StarCraft” tournament in Gwangalli, Busan, which drew a crowd of approximately 100,000 spectators, was a prime example of the gaming industry’s growth potential at the time. Since then, various international tournaments have been held in many regions around the world, including the “World Cyber Games (WCG),” an international competition featuring gamers from various countries.
Additionally, the “League of Legends World Championship,” the world championship for “League of Legends,” has also established itself as a global gaming festival. In particular, the Season 2 tournament held in 2012 attracted significant attention with a total prize pool of $2 million at the time, and the scale of the tournament and the prize money have continued to grow since then. Today, it has evolved into a global esports event watched by fans from countless countries both online and offline. At the time, Korean fans referred to the tournament as the “LoL World Cup”—a combination of “LoL,” the abbreviation for “League of Legends,” and “World Cup”—and cheered on the strong performances of Korean teams. Many users showed great interest in the tournament, and related news frequently topped real-time trending topics online. Witnessing this phenomenon served as a stark reminder of just how rapidly the gaming market was growing.

Is gaming a sport?

As gaming has established itself as a culture, the term “eSports” is now widely used. The Korea e-Sports Association defines e-sports as “an activity in which participants compete by utilizing mental and physical abilities in a virtual electronic environment that simulates the real world, encompassing participation in matches, spectating, and related community activities.”
However, people who do not play games or have little experience with them—particularly some members of the older generation who hold negative perceptions of gaming—often refuse to recognize gaming as a sport. Generally, there is a strong perception that sports involve physical movement, so people often find it difficult to accept that games played with a keyboard and mouse can be called sports.
However, when we observe professional gamers competing against opponents under fair and just rules and improving their skills through long hours of practice and effort, it is entirely reasonable to view gaming not merely as entertainment but as a sport in its own right.
In this article, we will first examine the definition of sports and compare the characteristics of games and sports to determine how well games align with that definition. We will also explore whether the scope of sports extends beyond mere physical activity to include mental activity, and explain why games can be viewed as mind sports. Furthermore, using examples of games centered on mental activity—such as Go, Janggi, and chess—we will examine the validity of recognizing games as sports.

Definition of Sports and Comparison with Games

For games to be recognized as sports, we must first examine what sports are. According to the Standard Korean Dictionary, “sports” can be rendered as “athletic competitions,” which are defined as “activities in which individuals or teams compete in speed, endurance, or skill according to specific rules.”
Furthermore, Wikipedia explains that the term “sports” is derived from the French word “desport,” meaning “leisure.” Sports include not only physical exercises but also activities that utilize various tools or the strength of animals. They are categorized into individual and team competitions and play an important role not only in promoting personal health but also in fostering teamwork and a competitive spirit. Furthermore, it can be viewed as a social activity in which outstanding athletes challenge themselves to achieve peak performance and records, and which also encompasses the culture of spectating these events.
When comparing this definition of sports to video games—commonly referred to as “esports”—it is difficult to argue that speed or endurance are directly required to play games. While the ability to concentrate and play a game for an extended period could be interpreted as endurance, this differs somewhat from the generally accepted meaning of the term.
On the other hand, the element of “skill” has a relatively broad meaning. The Standard Korean Dictionary defines skill as “the technical ability to perform physical and mental tasks accurately and effortlessly.” Ultimately, whether a game can be classified as a sport depends on how the concept of “skill” is interpreted.
If we limit the definition of sports solely to physical activity, it is difficult to consider games—which involve manipulating a mouse, keyboard, or gamepad—as sports. However, the process of playing a game involves mental activity that goes beyond simply moving one’s hands. Players constantly analyze situations, devise strategies, make decisions, and compete against opponents. Ultimately, gaming is an activity that actively utilizes mental abilities, and from this perspective, it can be viewed as falling within the category of sports that test skill.

Can gaming be considered a mental sport?

Of course, gaming differs from traditional sports, which involve physically moving one’s body and working up a sweat. However, we cannot simply conclude that gaming is not a sport just because it does not involve much physical movement. The key point is who is actually competing.
Both traditional sports and gaming share the common goal of defeating an opponent through competition. In traditional sports, participants use their own bodies to compete directly against opponents, whereas in video games, players compete by controlling characters in a virtual space using input devices such as a mouse and keyboard.
In this context, it is not the in-game characters that are actually competing, but the players controlling them. Players identify with their characters, devise strategies, assess situations, and choose various actions to win battles or achieve objectives. Ultimately, it is not the in-game character itself but the player’s thinking and judgment that determine victory or defeat. Players use their minds to devise strategies, compete against opponents, and secure victory. In this regard, gaming is an activity centered on mental ability, and it can certainly be viewed as a form of sport.

If Go and chess are sports, what about video games?

These characteristics of games are very similar to those of Go, Janggi, and chess, which are already recognized as sports. Go is a quintessential mind sport in which players predict their opponent’s intentions and formulate their own strategies with each move. Since intense strategic analysis, judgment, and concentration determine the outcome, the emphasis on mental competition is very high.
Games and Go share the common feature of taking place within a defined space.
In video games, players control characters within a virtual space on a computer, while in Go, they move stones on a Go board. In both cases, players do not physically compete against their opponents; instead, they act as the agents of in-game characters or Go stones to engage in competition.
Janggi is no different. It requires meticulous strategy and sound judgment to attack the opponent’s king and secure victory using a set of specific pieces. Western chess is another representative strategy game that proceeds in a manner similar to Janggi.
Today, Go, chess, and other such games have been adopted as official events in international sports competitions, and systematic competitions and player development are carried out through various international federations. Considering these points, it can be argued that games centered on mental ability also have sufficient grounds to be recognized as sports.
Go and Janggi have long been established as leisure activities and have naturally come to be recognized as a branch of sports. In contrast, video games have a relatively short history. Therefore, while the debate over whether video games qualify as sports continues, I believe that, over time, esports will also become more firmly established as an independent branch of sports.

Can Games Be Considered Sports?

So far, we have examined why games can be considered sports. First, by looking at the definition of sports, we confirmed that they are activities that involve competing not only in speed or endurance but also in skill; we also explained that games are activities in which competitors utilize mental abilities and exceptional skills to compete. Furthermore, we confirmed that both traditional sports and games share the common characteristic of individuals or teams working together to compete against opponents and determine a winner and loser.
Furthermore, we noted that games such as Go, Janggi, and chess—which share very similar characteristics with video games—are already recognized as sports. Considering these examples, I believe there is no compelling reason why video games should not also be recognized as sports.
As someone who enjoys gaming, I hope that the rapidly growing gaming industry and gaming culture will continue to develop in the right direction. Otherwise, negative aspects—such as cases where excessive gaming leads to an inability to distinguish between reality and the game, criminal behavior, or a lack of physical activity due to spending excessive amounts of time sitting while gaming—may become even more prominent. If that happens, concerns regarding the recognition of gaming as an official sport will persist.
However, these negative effects mostly stem not from gaming itself, but from excessive use. Every activity carries the risk of adverse effects when taken to extremes. Even exercise, if done excessively, can strain the body due to exercise addiction. Conversely, moderate gaming can help relieve stress and play a positive role in allowing office workers and students to rest and refocus on their work or studies.
Ultimately, what matters is not gaming itself, but a culture of responsible gaming. If an environment is created where games can be enjoyed in a healthy way, the negative perceptions held by the older generation will gradually diminish, and esports will gain broader recognition as a legitimate part of sports culture. At that point, anyone will be able to proudly refer to gaming as esports.