Future of Esports & Gaming

Programme outline

In this minor, we delve into the world of esports:

• The esports market is thriving, with gaming gaining popularity across diverse audiences and an increasing number of brands seeking to enter the esports arena. Popular games include FIFA, League of Legends, Valorant, CS, Formula 1, DotA, and Rocket League. Non-sport games such as Fortnite, Minecraft, Animal Crossing, Roblox, Fall Guys, and Among Us contribute to the growing popularity of gaming but are not primarily designed as esports. During this minor, you'll learn about the distinction between gaming and esports.
• Esports involves competitive gaming with a sporting component, featuring professional esports athletes. This minor provides an introduction to the esports ecosystem, exploring its dynamics, differences, and similarities compared to the traditional sports industry. 
• We examine both the traditional sports world and esports. Can these realms mutually benefit from each other? Will they converge in the near future? We explore phenomena like hybrid sports (such as sport apps like Zwift) and high-performance sports teams incorporating separate esports divisions. What developments are occurring in both domains?
• Gamification refers to applying game-design elements and principles in non-game contexts to engage and motivate people to achieve goals or perform tasks. In society, gamification has been applied across various sectors to encourage desired behaviours, enhance engagement, and drive participation in activities. Examples include education, fan engagement, training, skill development, environmental conservation, workplace dynamics, business strategies, and social causes. 
• We will discuss marketing, sponsorship, branding opportunities, and business models within the esports and gaming industries. You will also develop your own solutions for current social, commercial, and educational challenges. 
• Classes and assignments will take place at inspiring locations, such as the H20 Esports Campus Amsterdam in Purmerend, where we will work on projects and deliver practical solutions for real clients. The design of the minor incorporates various expertise areas with short-term projects (challenges) and assessments, ensuring a dynamic and varied experience aligned with the esports world. Expect an engaging and diverse learning journey.
• Additionally, we will organise field trips to other organisations in the esports industry, including Team Liquid and the Esports X seminar. 

Learning outcomes

The esports industry is large and growing, requiring quick and flexible strategies. With consumer behaviour constantly changing, the industry is expanding rapidly, especially in Europe and the Benelux. The industry offers many job opportunities as more companies enter the field. You will address questions like how to professionalise esports and how esports can promote a healthier lifestyle. Organisations need the right mission, vision, and values to execute their strategies and respond to trends. Your role will be to help them and contribute to this development.

After this minor you are able to:

• Analyse international and national organisations in the world of esports.
•  Create mission-vision-values statements for esports-related organisations.
• Think and manoeuvre strategically and initiate projects for the development of esports.
• Analyse strategic problems and challenges in the world of esports.
• Think outside the box and come up with innovative solutions for the esports world of today and tomorrow.
• Evaluate the success of your projects.
• Give feedback to each other in an open and positive way to improve your individual and team performance.
• Innovate traditional sports with knowledge from the world of esports.
• Identify ways to improve the competitiveness and effectiveness of an organisation in the esports industry.
• Learn about esports, esports teams, esports marketing, esports events and other aspects related to the esports industry.
• Understand the importance of branding, marketing, merchandising and project management.
• Use the necessary language to work effectively in the esports field.

Key pillars

• The world of sports in relation to esports (including traditional sports, esports, hybrid sports, and high-performance esports teams linked to physical sports).

• Creative technology, gamification, active gaming, and esports will play a significant role throughout the entire minor.

• Live streaming, broadcasting, events, and all other essential aspects within this industry.

• Sports development: using gaming to encourage more people to be active and mobile.

• Sports commerce: the business aspects such as revenue streams, viewership, sponsorships, brand activation, and product placement within games.

• Gamification and the gamified approach to learning (badges, rewards, certificates, leaderboards).

Programme structure

The minor will take place at several inspiring locations, such as the H20 esports Campus in Purmerend. The minor is aiming for students who are keen to contribute to the community of this course: together we work with a community of students, lecturers, researchers and esports professionals towards the goal of creating an Amsterdam Esports learning hub, the largest in Europe.

Subjects and assessments

Business challenges, several products in different forms: paper, video production, event, business model canvas, pitching and presentations, written opinion piece / article, SWOT +and recommendation paper. Each subject will have a final assessment. Assessments methods: business challenges, several products in different forms: paper, video production, event, business model canvas, opinion piece, positioning plan and marketing plan.

Possible career options

• Work within the high-performance sports industry with esports portfolio
• Work for an esports brand
• Sports manager with an expertise in esports
• Events manager for esports events 
• Physical education teacher with expertise in how to use esports to activate children
• Account manager or product manager for esports brands
• Business development manager 
• Video producer for esports game competitions 
• Visual designer & game designer, video editor or graphic designer 
• Community manager, social media manager
• Player manager, esports community & player relation manager 
• Shoutcaster

Admission requirements

You need to have:

• A heart for (innovation in) sports, technology and gamification.
• A good level of English (i.e students from programmes such as Sport Management/Sportkunde/Sport Studies, Commercial Economics/Sportmarketing, Physical Education and Game Development).

Study period

The minor runs one a year:

• Fall semester (September – January)

Application

• If you are a student from a partner university, please contact the International Office of your home university.
• HvA/AUAS students can find more information on how to apply on minoren.mijnhva.nl(opens in new window).
• Students from other Dutch universities can enrol via kiesopmaat.nl.(opens in new window)

Application deadline fall semester

• The International Office has to send us your official nomination by 1 April.
• The application deadline for the programme is 15 April.