Manipulating virtual avatars in esports can be the first step to cheating, and many participants believe the practice is widespread, according to Bournemouth University (BU) suggested by research.
Interest in esports has exploded in recent years, with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) considering hosting esports games as early as 2025.
But researchers are investigating the ethics of online sports competitions, starting with what your avatar says about you and how widely recognized the possibility of cheating is.
Virtual avatars are created online in games and esports to provide individuals with an online “character.” Avatar weight manipulation, including what researchers call “weight doping” (manipulating an avatar's actual weight relative to one's own size) or “e-doping,” can unfairly influence online performance and Research has shown that this may amount to cheating.
This study investigated the attitudes of virtual cycling participants who are physically participating in cycling, but are represented by digital avatars in a simulated virtual environment. Through a survey, participants were asked their opinions on elements of esports that could be considered cheating or taking an unfair advantage.
Analysis of participant surveys revealed that many respondents appeared to accept that e-doping is a common practice and that preventive measures and penalties are ineffective.
The results showed that avatar weight manipulation behavior in virtual cycling esports has similar consequences, feedback, and undesirable behavior to other forms of sports fraud, such as the use of performance-enhancing drugs.
Dr Bryce Dyer is Deputy Head of the School of Design Engineering at Bournemouth University and co-author of the paper with colleague Dr Jackie Taylor. “While traditional sports have a variety of guidelines, rules and checks in place to ensure fairness and punish cheating, online environments do not always have the same strict guidelines,” he said. , and may be susceptible to fraud.”
“Our initial research shows that even well-intentioned weight or measurement changes can give an unfair advantage within the platform, as the software considers the measurements provided. We began investigating cheating in esports through the lens of participant perceptions and avatars as part of the competition. We were shocked to hear participants' perceptions that such activity is widespread. received.”
The study, published in the Journal of Electronic Gaming and Esports, suggests that avatar weight manipulation should be treated as illegal, deceptive, or completely negative behavior within esports rules to avoid creating an unfair advantage. It is concluded that this should be done. For participants.
Dr Dyer concluded: “While we have shown that awareness of cheating is widespread, as esports grows in popularity, we need to do more to instill confidence in the fairness of esports. We look forward to continuing our research and making recommendations to help make the exciting and growing field of esports as fair as possible.”
The study can be viewed in full on the journal's website.
