ID Lab ONLINE Workshop

Dennis Coates presented the results of a study on choosing an individual or team format for a tournament using eSports data 

Tournament theory has been supported by many pieces of empirical research in different fields. However, tournament theory literature focuses largely on the incentives of individual competitors. In the paper authors develop a model of rank-order tournaments between teams or individuals and test its implications using eSports (competitive video gaming) data. The results show that both team and individual results follow tournament theory, however, there is a difference between the motivation of groups and individuals. The study provides insights on the optimal reward structure, which should maximize effort of contestants, and, in the case of sports tournaments, entertainment value of the events.