A Textual Analysis of Intrateam Communication During a High-Stakes, Professional, Multiplayer Tactical First-Person Shooter Competition

The proliferation of esports in recent years has attracted public and research attention. However, there has been little examination of verbal communication within teams. This study is the first to analyze how esport athletes use verbal communication within teams during a high-stakes competition. This exploratory qualitative analysis focuses on the content of intrateam verbal communication between five teammates competing in Counter Strike: Global Offensive and explores communication’s role in effective performance. Audio logs of a publicly accessible video of a high-stakes esport competition that included full audio of intrateam communication were transcribed verbatim. Subsequently, textual analysis was used to identify emergent themes and patterns in the transcription. Five emergent themes were discovered: emotional feedback, decision-making communication, points of emphasis, moments of uncertainty, and confirmations. The results highlight the importance of esport teams using effective communication, team roles, and leadership. Future research and interventions on effective communication in esport may benefit from testing the emergent themes present in this competition.