Esports and expertise: what competitive gaming can teach us about mastery

2025-07-07

AI Summary

Traditional HCI research over-relies on atomic metrics such as task completion time, neglecting the holistic nature of skill mastery in complex, real-world tasks. Method: Drawing on competitive gaming and esports as empirical domains, this study employs qualitative observation, player behavioral analysis, and integration of skill acquisition theory to investigate the cognitive mechanisms underlying expertise in high-dimensional, dynamic interactive environments. Contribution/Results: We identify that expert performance stems primarily from advanced situational awareness, adaptive decision-making, and implicit knowledge structures forged through prolonged deliberate practice—not merely operational speed. Accordingly, we propose a novel HCI evaluation paradigm centered on “artful skill acquisition,” shifting focus from isolated efficiency metrics to integrative mastery. This paradigm introduces a theoretically grounded analytical framework for understanding skilled interaction in complex systems, offering both a new conceptual lens and methodological foundation for HCI research.

Technology Category

• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Simulating Human Behavior
• Humans and AI: Human-Computer Interaction
• Knowledge Representation and Reasoning: Knowledge Acquisition

Application Category

• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: Research challenges in human and human-AI computation
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Metrics for user behavior and evaluating success
• Semantics and Knowledge: Data modeling to support human-machine intelligence, including LLMs agents, intelligent system behavior, explanations, and user-friendly interactions

Abstract

Historically, much research and development in human computer interaction has focused on atomic and generalizable tasks, where task completion time indicates productivity. However, the emergence of competitive games and esports reminds us of an alternative perspective on human performance in HCI: mastery of higher-level, holistic practices. Just as a world-renowned artist is rarely evaluated for their individual brush strokes, so skilled competitive gamers rarely succeed solely by completing individual mouse movements or keystrokes as quickly as possible. Instead, they optimize more task-specific skills, adeptly performing challenges deep in the learning curve for their game of choice.

Problem

• Exploring mastery in esports beyond atomic tasks
• Understanding holistic performance in competitive gaming
• Analyzing task-specific skills in esports expertise

Innovation

• Focus on holistic mastery in HCI
• Optimize task-specific skills in gaming
• Study deep learning curve challenges