IDLab Seminar: Strategic Choice in eSports: An Analysis of Team Decisions During Map Vetoes

We invite you to attend the International Laboratory for the Economics of Intangible Assets (IDLab) scientific seminar on 27 June, dedicated to strategic choice in esports: an analysis of team decisions during map vetoes.

Abstract:

This paper investigates the strategic decision-making processes of professional teams during map vetoes in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO). 
The map veto is a crucial pre-game phase where teams alternate in banning and selecting maps from a fixed pool, aiming to maximize their competitive advantage while minimizing the opponent’s strengths. We model the map veto procedure as a two-player game with strict preferences and perfect information, applying subgame perfect Nash equilibrium concepts to identify an optimal strategy — maximizing win rate differences. Using data from over 1,000 professional matches, our empirical analysis examines how closely teams’ actual map veto choices align with the optimal strategy — as well as alternative strategies such as prioritizing their own or their opponent’s win rates — and whether adherence to these strategies correlates with increased match success. 
The results provide new insights into decision-making in eSports and offer a foundation for further research on strategic behavior in competitive gaming.

Seminar language: English

When and where?

 June 27th, 2025 (Friday), online

 17:00 GMT+5 (Perm time) / 15:00 GMT+3 (Moscow time)

To attend the seminar, please complete the registration form: