Towards Player Health Analytics in Overwatch

Abstract

Overwatch is a competitive, team-based first-person shooter game, with a professional eSports league supporting competitive play. Player mental health has been an issue in eSports, and in Overwatch multiple players have quit playing professionally and cited mental health concerns. Player physiology during gameplay presents an opportunity to understand stressors during gameplay that may affect individual performance and health. This paper presents the collection of physiological data from Overwatch players and overlays it with data from the video game. This method, demonstrated in a pilot study could be used to learn more about how in game events affect player mental health, and lead to the development of resilience building approaches for eSports athletes.