Those who are not involved enough in the world of eSports can make the mistake of underestimating the importance of the mindset in these competitions. In reality, however, just like in traditional sports, even in eSports the mindset has a significant impact.
By mindset we generally mean the mental attitude or if we want the mentality with which we face events in life. Esports all have a fundamental characteristic: they are competitive . For this reason, players are constantly put under considerable performance stress. Being a pro player in this world means facing long training sessions every day, to have the best possible performance in the game, just like it happens for professional athletes.
Another feature of eSports, which then relates to the importance of the right mindset, is that most of them are team games.
This results in situations in which, despite a player having an excellent and very high level performance compared to his opponents, the final outcome of the match can be a defeat. In a team game the individual cannot win alone. Precisely for this reason players are often required to manage situations in which nervousness is generated within the team due to the non-optimal performance of some of the members which then affect the results of all. So let’s see in eSports which aspects of the mindset affect a player’s skills and performance.
Managing defeats
As we said before, in eSports it can happen very well to lose despite having excellent individual performances. In fact, many players are unable to manage defeats and then negatively affect their subsequent games . The management of losses for an eSport athlete goes through two moments: when you lose a game of a series despite a good performance and when the team loses due to their own performance.
In the first case it is important for a player to manage his own negativity and not pour it onto his teammates. It is highly unlikely that a series that started with a defeat will improve if you blame your teammate for their fault and criticize their performance. On the contrary, it is much more useful to raise the morale of the team, reset everyone’s mindset and load them up for the next game. Blaming the individual is always counterproductive , but accepting defeat and comforting teammates who are playing badly is always very useful. You win as a team and lose as a team, this is often forgotten .
On the other hand, in the event that the negative performance is theirs, many tend to break down and do not bear the weight that has led the team to lose. The result of this attitude is only to worsen the performance also in subsequent games. A “compliance effect” often arises in the mind of a player who blames himself, which then negatively affects performance. Rather apologizing to your teammates, having a mental reset and facing the following matches with energy creates a positive atmosphere around the team which thus benefits.
Keeping ambitions high
Another aspect of the mindset of a very important player in eSports concerns the “hunger for victory” . It may seem nonsense but it is not at all. In the world of eSports the average age of pro players is in fact very low in general, the reason behind this is precisely linked to ambitions. Young people want to win, to become famous and to be at the top of the charts. This match after match attitude allows for better and better results.
Speaking of “Faker”, the most successful player in eSports, we have seen how over the years the desire to be the strongest of all and the safety of his own means has really brought him to the top of the rankings. In fact, it is no coincidence that, despite what many imagine, many pro players in eSports already around the age of 24/25 begin to retire from professional gaming. The reason is related to their “hunger” and the desire they have. When you reach the top and have been playing at the highest levels for years, a player easily loses that energy and stops having ambitions of success , however it is precisely those who determine the improvements and development of their skills.
Esports are dynamic and ever-changing, games update after update change everything. Being motivated and keeping ambitions high is therefore highly necessary if you want to improve day after day and keep up with those who want to succeed. From this point of view, the mental coaches also act on this, helping the players to continually set new goals , thus avoiding that they experience badly the continuous daily training sessions that they are forced to do.
The professional figures related to the mindset
Having a positive attitude during matches is one of the skills required in the world of eSports. At certain levels, the differences in the mechanical skills and reflexes of the players are very thin. Precisely for this reason what really makes the difference and determines the final potential of a player is the mindset. For some time now in this regard, each team has been equipping itself with mental coaches specialized in managing the mindset of the players. Many teams are even equipping themselves with psychologists who personally follow the players and keep mental stress at bay. All these professionals are proof of how important the mindset has in the world of eSports and how much this can affect the results.
