The sports industry is suffering thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic keeping people indoors. In order to combat the loss of revenue from big events, several sport leagues are turning to video games. These companies are branching into eSports as temporary solutions to finishing major season events. This includes Formula 1, which will be finishing its season in F1 2019, the video game.
Normally, eSports refers to the pro sporting leagues that exclusively feature video game competitions. The difference with these temporary eSport solutions is that they focus on real world sports transported into video games. The medium has changed, but the sport has, theoretically, remained the same. That said, several new problems have arisen with the change in medium.
One problem is that it is far easier to cheat at virtual racing than at physical racing. This became apparent when pro racer Daniel Abt was caught cheating at a virtual Formula E race after the fact. Much like F1, FE has also gone temporarily virtual, and Abt secretly subbed a pro gamer in his place. Whether or not F1 will have similar problems when (if) they switch to the upcoming F1 2020 is unclear, but the consequences have been very real.
Abt was disqualified from the race and made to pay a fine of around $10,000 to charity. The severity of the punishment may be surprising to some, but it is hardly less than would be done for cheating in a non-virtual race. With that option gone, Formula E, along with other sporting organizations, are taking their temporary eSports very seriously. Besides, regular eSports have punished players for less, whether for voicing political opinions or continuous offensive comments, even those made outside of game play. On a side note, the pro gamer Abt hired was also disqualified from an e-racing series he competed in.
This sort of thing causes a stain on the temporary eSports leagues, corrupting the attempt at a solution to the COVID-19 problem. Granted, it may not have the same impact on fans that it has on the players themselves. Players will still be able to enjoy F1 2020 when it comes out later this year, and the eSports series of these sports show no sign of slowing.
On the other hand, now that it has been done, other sports organizations will have to take extra precautions to prevent cheating. With other sports being even more different in real life than in video games, the temptation will be higher for competitors. After all, a basketball skillset doesn’t translate into being good at NBA 2K20, but that’s where the NBA is finishing its season. Only time will tell how many cheaters surface before the crisis is dealt with.
F1 2020 releases July 10 for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
Source: IGN
