The video game industry, including representatives from across Europe, the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, has released a ‘unifying set of principles for esports engagement’.
The list of guidelines has been agreed by several games industry trade bodies around the world, including Ukie from the UK, as well as others from Germany, Belgium, Canada and lots more (you can see the full list at the bottom of this article).
The core principles were developed in a collaborative effort and form a set of values applicable in all aspects of esports globally, such as ‘safety and wellbeing, integrity and fair play, respect and diversity, and positive and enriching gameplay’.
The group of trade bodies said it is ‘vital’ for all participants to engage actively in esports culture in a ‘positive and enriching way’, ensuring esports remains an exciting and inclusive activity and industry at all levels.
“Our esports community includes the game publishers and intellectual property owners whose games are at the core of the esports ecosystem as well as the players, teams, and tournament organizers who bring this vibrant community to life,” the video game industry associations said in a joint statement.
“As members of this community, we created these guiding principles to foster an esports environment that is vibrant, engaging, fair and fun for everyone. As esports continues to grow, collectively we support an ecosystem of play that can be enjoyed by all members of the community – from international competitions to local community events.“
GAMES INDUSTRY TRADE BODIES JOINT STATEMENT
“We believe values of respect, diversity, safety, integrity, and fair play should be the foundation upon which positive and enriching esports communities are built. It is our sincere hope that others in the esports community will join us today in welcoming our universal esports principles and affirming belief in an open and inclusive esports environment.”
The Universal Esports Principles in full
Principle 1: SAFETY AND WELLBEING
All esports community members deserve to participate in and enjoy esports in safe spaces and to be free from threats and acts of violence and from language or behavior that makes people feel threatened or harassed.
Principle 2: INTEGRITY AND FAIR PLAY
Cheating, hacking, or otherwise engaging in disreputable, deceitful, or dishonest behavior detracts from the experience of others, unfairly advantages teams and players, and tarnishes the legitimacy of esports.
Principle 3: RESPECT AND DIVERSITY
Esports promotes a spirit of healthy competition. Whether in person or online, all members of the esports community should demonstrate respect and courtesy to others, including teammates, opponents, game officials, organizers, and spectators.
Esports is truly global and brings together players from different backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives. We believe the broad and diverse player base of esports contributes to its success. We support an open, inclusive, and welcoming environment for all, no matter one’s gender identity, age, ability, race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation.
Principle 4: POSITIVE AND ENRICHING GAME PLAY
Esports can help build self-confidence and sportsmanship and boost interpersonal communication and teamwork skills. Esports brings players and fans together to problem solve through strategic play, collaboration, and critical thinking. Participation in esports can also lead to the development of new and lasting friendships among teammates, competitors, and members of the broader esports community.
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
