[ECO]The State of Sustainability in the Esports Industry

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The State of Sustainability in the Esports Industry

Esports is one of the fastest-growing industries on the planet. Thanks to the vast range of video game titles across different genres hosting competitive tournament systems, it’s drawn millions of viewers worldwide. In turn, these loyal fanbases paved the way for lucrative marketing opportunities and profitable ventures through sponsorships and merchandise sales. 

With leading online platforms like

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making esports even more accessible, it only continues to attract more players and viewers over time—which is why it’s no surprise that the value of this market is expected to grow from roughly $2 billion to $10 billion between now and 2032. 

All this makes esports one of the best sectors for conducting

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initiatives, especially with more gamers now wanting developers to go green.

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from more than a dozen countries and found that over 48% of them are willing to pay more for sustainable gaming consoles alone. Given just how reliant esports are on other modern technologies—many of which have a significant environmental impact—there’s definitely room for the industry to become more sustainable while simultaneously retaining and attracting more followers. 

But how can it get started? Below, we’ll ***** deeper into how esports is currently going green and what else the industry can do to improve sustainability efforts. 

Esports sustainability today

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Competitive video gaming is, by nature, already more sustainable than traditional sports. Every year, the global sports industry emits a whopping 350 million tons of carbon dioxide due to the processes involved in running sports facilities, organizing events, and transporting athletes to compete there. In comparison, global video gaming activities—including esports—emit roughly 81 million tons annually. That means it consumes as much energy as over 5 million cars. Given the similarities between esports and its traditional counterparts, including the hosting of physical tournaments that require teams to travel there, it’s a significant contributor to that carbon footprint. Growing industry awareness of this issue has led to the following efforts. 

Internal initiatives

Change often needs to start at the source. That’s why gaming developers themselves now use environment, social, and governance (ESG) principles for the benefit of investors, stakeholders—and, more importantly, consumers clamoring for sustainability. That’s clearly seen through the efforts of Activision Blizzard, a company best known for developing the popular esports title Call of Duty. Though first introduced in 2003, this game is still considered the best in the first-person shooter genre today because Activision keeps it relevant by regularly releasing new updates and franchises.

That’s led to the creation of a vibrant esports tournament system. Here, famous teams like Atlantic FaZe and Toronto Ultra can compete in everything from pre-season kickoffs to championship events, and spectators can

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match outcomes using either fiat or cryptocurrencies to enhance the viewing experience. Today, Activision uses internal sustainability initiatives to cater to changing consumer demand and ultimately maintain Call of Duty’s loyal fanbase. Its ESG reports reveal that its decarbonization roadmap has helped it reduce water consumption, waste production, and overall carbon emissions while developing and updating games, with more than 61% of its operations now running on renewable energy. 

Team participation

Esports teams are the focal point of the industry. Professional players are the reason why matches are so exciting, making them the key factor that attracts everything from fans to sponsorship deals. They’re thus crucial for raising awareness of the environmental impact of esports. That’s what makes teams like FlyQuest stand out. It’s one of the biggest organizations to

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tournaments, which are already among the most followed in the industry thanks to unique mechanics like barring previous champions from competitions to facilitate more diverse and unpredictable outcomes.

By launching the Go Green Initiative in 2019, Flyquest is now also known for being one of the first teams to act on the issue of sustainability. It kickstarted the initiative with TreeQuest, which involved planting trees whenever its players hit milestones during games. That led to them planting more than 5,000 trees in a single League of Legends season. They’ve since launched similar programs under Go Green, including Bee Quest and SeaQuest. All these efforts aim to bring together not just team members, but wider esports communities, helping the industry respond to sustainability in the moment while simultaneously giving environmental issues further exposure within esports circles. 

Carbon offsetting

Given the importance of travel in conducting esports tournaments, it’s no wonder that esports organizations are also working to minimize their carbon emissions as they participate in major industry events. One of the first to do so directly is Betclic Apogee, a team most active in Counter-Strike and EAFC tournaments. Its partnership with the carbon credit company ZEROCertified allows it to track and offset its emissions as its members travel to competitions.

What else esports can do to go green

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Though the above initiatives are great stepping stones on the esports industry’s road to

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, there’s still much more it can do to bolster its efforts. Primarily, this will involve the similarities it shares with traditional sports, such as the resources it uses to train, compete, and partner with companies.  

Improved equipment

The digital device use necessary for esports training and tournaments does more than consume significant amounts of energy. The processes involved in producing high-end gaming computers alone include the mining of rare metals and the creation of petroleum-based plastics, and that can contribute to the industry’s overall environmental impact. That’s why teams and event organizers may want to consider switching to more eco-friendly equipment.

Though looking for components with ENERGY STAR certifications can help, leveraging

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may better promote a circular economy and aid in reducing the demand for device production altogether. Such platforms use rigorous vetting processes in curating a network of vendors that offer pre-loved electronics, allowing even esports organizations looking for niche equipment to find devices that fit their requirements. 

Greener venues

Further efforts can involve how the industry organizes tournaments themselves. Selecting a green venue can help make a difference by making it easier for everyone involved in an event to

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. Some key features esports event organizers can look for in such venues include the use of renewable energy to power lights and equipment, as well as the provision of transportation options to esports teams and audience members. It can also involve conducting carbon accounting during venue construction, which can help facilitate more effective carbon offsetting. 

Thoughtful partnerships

One final consideration the industry makes ***** in the methods it uses to stay financially viable—namely, through brand deals and merchandise sales. Major tournaments like the Esports World Cup, for example, are still

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, one of the biggest names in the petroleum industry. The production of clothes and other items that fans can purchase can also use a significant amount of water and energy, produce waste, and ultimately release compounds like microplastics into the environment. Notably, most esports team jerseys use non-biodegradable materials like polyester.

By more thoughtfully selecting the entities they partner with, event organizers and esports teams can indirectly support greener initiatives and give avid viewers the opportunity to grab more sustainable merchandise. For instance, they can forge deals with tech companies like Logitech, which uses circular materials for its devices and packaging—or dedicated esportswear brands like YLDR and FUSH, which both use recycled polyester in their apparel. 

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BIO: Evan Quintos is a freelance writer keen to cover the latest trends in the esports industry. In his pieces, you’ll find in-depth discussions on everything from the rise of dedicated esports infrastructure to how modern technologies like virtual reality are (quite literally) changing the game. In his free time, you’ll find him rock-climbing, watching his favorite sci-fi movies, or playing Valorant.

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