A biometeorological exploration of thermal (dis)comfort in eSports athletes

Electronic sports (eSports) are multiplayer video games where people compete against one another in an indoor gaming environment. eSports do not make the same physical demands as traditional sports. They are, however, extremely reliant on physiological factors such as attention, problem-solving ability, reasoning and perception. Thermal comfort and discomfort are well-documented considerations for both indoor work and in traditional sports, but this study is the first to explore the thermal comfort and discomfort in the context of eSports players. In situ meteorological data were collected at a gaming centre in Cape Town, coupled with responses from questionnaires disseminated to eSports participants at the venue, exploring experiences of thermal (dis)comfort. These are evaluated through two biometeorological indices to quantify the level of thermal comfort, and potential heat-related health risks. The findings derived from the austral winter indicate no occurrence of moderate heat stress for eSports athletes, while summer conditions may require greater infrastructural adaptation. This makes an initial contribution to the growing literature on thermal (dis)comfort and stress, with a focus on a novel sporting code, integrating the indoor thermal comfort discourse with that of exertional activities.