The “fairy chess” eSport: high performance psychological competencies for Teamfight Tactics

Abstract

Esports are increasingly gaining ground in the general sports scene, including the unanimous vote approving the holding of the 2025 eSports Olympic Games. Recognizing the different mental demands between eSports and sports with more predominant physical characteristics, a study on the psychological competencies involved in eSports performance is necessary. For this study, the game Teamfight Tactics (TFT) was selected, given its worldwide relevance and the dedication of its developer to expanding the competitive scenario. Content analysis was chosen as the method, using screenshots of the game itself to infer the necessary psychological competencies. After excluding 38 duplicate or irrelevant screens for performance, a total of 11 screens were left for analysis, with a total of 32 relevant parts of the game described for inference. Evaluating what each part of the game demands of the player, 52 observable psychological competencies were described that determine criteria and conditions for excellent performance. The borrowing of the term “competencies” developed by the organizational studies was of significant relevance to specify the performance of a given part of the game in question, avoiding generalist concepts. As a limitation, the constant updating of TFT rules makes it difficult to encompass competencies in a timeless way. The objective of the study was achieved, presenting a diverse list of psychological performance competencies specific to the parts of the game analyzed. Different lines of future research are suggested, such as the validation by professional players of the list of competencies developed and the mapping of competencies of other eSports modalities.