E-sports and sports cyberculture: perspectives of social actors in this universe

Abstract

This study is an analysis of e-sports, understanding them as a particular way of sports culture expression in line with the contemporary social paradigm that implies cyberculture. The main objective of this study is to analyze the sports cyberculture meanings for social actors involved in the e-sports universe. Thus, through a qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 2 cyberathletes and 1 streamer. Results show that sport cyberculture is appropriated by those social actors with expectations towards building a career, and on the growth of the modality and the public amid perceptions and experiences of prejudice. It is concluded that sports cyberculture produces and reflects practices, attitudes and values ​​similar to the conventional way of experiencing sport, reproducing stereotypes and prejudices, dreams of social ascension and professionalization perspectives.