Gaming with a heart: the case for esports amateurism

This paper develops a case for esports amateurism by moving from historical and philosophical groundwork to contemporary challenges and practical implications. We first trace how amateurism emerged as a modern sporting category, focusing on British and Danish associational cultures alongside Olympic and collegiate sport reforms. While recognising its historical challenges and exclusionary practices, we distil from this history a deeper amateur ethos oriented toward human flourishing. We then reconstruct the development of esports, from early LAN cultures through the rise of streaming platforms and franchised leagues, to show how commercial and publisher logics structure today’s competitive ecosystem. On this basis, the paper examines how an amateur ethos can reframe organised esports around health promotion, safeguards against exploitative monetization, constructive norms of communication, expanded inclusion, and longer-term participation. The final sections outline what amateur esports can offer educators and civic associations, as well as policy actors seeking to harness competitive gaming as a site of civic formation and meaningful digital play.