YouTubers clash over whether esports are more than video game contests

YouTuber Yoshida Manufacturing called esports “just video game tournaments” in a post on X on October 11.

Former professional gamer and YouTuber KUN responded the next day with a video challenging that view.

KUN said he thinks esports are valuable and suggested some people object to the term because they do not see gaming as a sport.

He also noted that esports can face a risk traditional sports may not: commercial companies can end a competition or game.

The exchange has divided viewers, with some agreeing that esports are game tournaments and others pointing to the skill and effort professional players need.

The debate matters because it reflects different views about whether competitive gaming deserves to be called a sport.

Esports are also featured at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, where 11-year-old Japanese player Yuki Kurihara won gold in the puzzle game Puyo Puyo on September 26.