A good esports team can’t rest on their laurels after breezing to victory at a major tournament. They might be riding high after seeing off the competition, but they’ll struggle to maintain their standing if they don’t take the time to evaluate their performance. For those teams who’ve fared less well at a tournament, post-match reviews are even more important. While coaches and team players can debrief and discuss based on their insights, many esports rosters are turning to analytics and technology-assisted tools. But how are they using these to evaluate success and identify weaknesses? Let’s explore.
Studying Player Stats
Analytics have been used in traditional sports for decades. In the case of baseball, they’ve been used since the 1960s, with sabermetrics coming into play the following decade. More recently, other major sports have turned to technology-assisted solutions for post-game performance analysis. Esports and analytics are a natural fit, with competition itself directly tied to technology.
Coaches can use analytics to review every single match or training session, while players themselves may choose to study this data independently. In-game metrics like accuracy and kill-death ratios can be useful in assessing player performance, although these will change depending on the game being played. Minor performance dips can be resolved with increased training, but sustained shortfalls may require more drastic measures.
Improve Team Communication
Some teams work well together. Others don’t. Often, it’s poor communication and fractured team dynamics that cause an esports roster to fall about at the seams. Esports analytics can be incredibly useful in reviewing how players interact with their teammates during those important matches and career-defining tournaments.
Coaches can also review analytics to pinpoint any telltale patterns, identify room for improvements to refine strategies, streamline communication, and allow for better decision-making. With most titles played at esports tournaments, there’s little room for small talk. In the chaotic final moments of an all-or-nothing tournament match, efficiency is key to maintaining focus and keeping comms clear of audio clutter. Take Rocket League as an example.
Most games played at esports tournaments are fast-paced and intense, but Psyonix’s unique take on the soccer format is something else. Watch any top-flight team in action and you’ll note the short and succinct exchanges between teammates. It might not make for the most thrilling experience, but this didn’t stop 468,000 people from tuning into the 2023 edition of the Championship
Series 2023 finals. Keen to see which teams you should be following the example of? Get the latest Rocket League stats click here.
Scoping Out the Competition
In 2020, G2 Esports endured a notorious streak of losses at the League of Legends European Championship. G2 started well, trouncing tournament favorites Fnatic. However, rival team Misfits Gaming would soon put G2 in their place, with another defeat soon dealt by Schalke 04. What was so shocking about this loss was that Schalke 04 were enduring their own losing streak at the time and weren’t exactly ones to watch. There was a lot of talk at the time about what was going on with G2, with many pointing to communication problems and others singling out a lack of coherent strategy.
This is exactly the kind of situation where analytics can prove invaluable. Teams have access to a wealth of data that can be used to uncover why an apparently inferior team stole a victory. What’s more, analytics allow teams to decipher the strategies deployed by the winning team, as well as identify obvious weaknesses that were missed at the time but can be explored the next time they come face-to-face. Analytics are also crucial in creating counter-strategies for an opposing team’s most punishing tactics.
How Will Esports Analytics Evolve?
As machine learning evolves, AI-powered analytics are going to redefine the way we gather and interpret data. These advancements have exciting applications for many industries, including the world of esports. Superior real-time analytics will soon be readily accessible, potentially allowing teams to make last-second changes to strategy.
With more analytics tools available, the need for esports analysts will grow. While there’s already a sizable amount of jobs available within this growing industry, esports analysts are likely to become one of the most indispensable assets to any organization. If you’re eyeing up a lucrative esports career in the future, this is one avenue worth exploring.
