Elite gamers ‘have mental toughness of Olympic athletes’

Esports professionals and traditional athletes show similar emotional control and ability to develop coping strategies

The world’s top gamers have high levels of mental discipline, comparable to Olympic athletes, as well as an ability to deal with the intense pressures of high-stakes competition, according to research by Queensland University of Technology.

The study looked at more than 300 gamers, or esports professionals, among the top 40 per cent of the world’s competitive players. The games that were played included League of Legends, Overwatch and Defense of the Ancients 2.