eSports in EVE Online: Skullduggery, fair play and acceptability in an unbounded competition

Officially organized, spectator driven eSport tournaments occur within the notoriously transgressive and ruthless game EVE Online. In these tournaments spying, bribing and throwing matches is commonplace. Based on results from interviews with players, spectators and commentators, this paper discusses the way in which the ‘unbounded’ attitude of the developers of EVE Online towards acceptable forms of play has been transposed into its eSport iteration. Indicative of professionalization, EVE’s developer CCP Games has recently begun bounding tournament conduct and offering their first real-money tournament prizes. We argue that this is problematic, against the ‘spirit’ of EVE Online and a misreading of the effect of transgressive acts on the success and enjoyment of the emerging eSport.

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