Competitive computer gaming, known as electronic sport or esport, is growing and professionalizing profoundly during the past years with experts struggling to allocate it in society. This scoping review explores existing evidence and identifies potential societal impact of esport by applying the Mapping Elite Sports Societal Impact Model. Main findings included insights on the motivation of passive and active esport consumption, beneficial socializing, pedagogical or educational aspects, hegemonial clinical pictures in esport, differing popularity regarding demographics and games, and potential interference of the esport economy in traditional sports. The findings implicate a paradigm shift in the world of sport. It can be stated that esport affects society in a positive and a negative way, although the fragmented body of research has only given superficial evidence so far. Future research needs to go into detail regarding the peculiarities and find approaches of isolating the positive aspects, while reducing the negative spin-offs and allow a well-regulated handling of esport on a broad societal level.

The popularity of competitive computer and videogaming, also known as electronic sport (esport), has been rising rapidly during the past decades. Because of many parallels with traditional sports, like competitiveness, skill requirements, degree of professionalization, or the way it is portrayed in the media, esport has been adopted as part of the sport canon in many countries. Still, critics argue that playing computer games lacks the physicality commonly seen in traditional sports. A significant part of the competition is mediated through digital platforms and the spotlight shifts from the players’ appearance and actions to their digital avatars. This paper takes on this issue by exploring existing evidence about the role of the body in esport via a scoping review approach. According to the findings of 47 studies, the body’s role in esport is akin to that in traditional sport, including specific motoric requirements or biometric responses. Beyond that, the body can be seen as a link between the digital and physical worlds. Players embody digital avatars in the form of esport-specific movements, transfer of norms and ideals, and identification with the in-game characters. Future research can use this review as a basis for scientific approaches to individual phenomena regarding corporeality in esport and inter-corporeality.

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The role of the body is a common topic for discussions concerning competitive gaming, also known as electronic sport (esport). In esport, the focus on the body shifts from its physical presence towards digitality and therefore differs significantly compared to traditional sports. It is therefore questionable whether disciplinary mechanisms typical for sport that originate from the physical body being surveyed can be observed in competitive gaming as well. This conceptual paper uses Michel Foucault's concept of panopticism to theorize what consequences of deviant or normative behaviour can be derived from a (partially) absent physical corporeality in esport. Our approach reveals that esport and competitive gaming are lacking disciplinary mechanisms typical for traditional sports. We introduce the term dysopticon as a concept where players are not exposed to surveillance like in traditional sports, because of a perceived absence of the players’ physical bodies while competing. This can result in arbitrariness and deviant behaviour but also be an opportunity for inclusion or self-expression regardless of hegemonic corporeal norms and standards. Stakeholders, including players, clubs, associations, and corporations, can build upon these insights to develop and promote esport beneficially for sport and society.