Recently, some virtual sports Research Network members have engaged in research related to integrity, health and governance issues in virtual sports and eSports. Andrew Richardson has recently published papers on cheating and anti-doping policies in virtual cycling. Integrity issues are also a topic of several chapters in my book Social Issues in Esports. These works got both Andrew and myself invited to a webinar on Doping and Esports, hosted by the Human Enhancement Drugs Network. Following the webinar, Andrew and I have been working together with fellow webinar panelist Professor Zsolt Demetrovics (ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; University of Gibraltar, Gibraltar) to organise a special issue for the journal Performance Enhancement & Health on the topic of Integrity, Health and Governance Issues in Esports and Virtual Sports. We have since then been joined by Senior Lecturer Mathias Schubert (Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Germany) and finalised a call-for-papers.

With this call-for-papers we invite fellow virtual sports researchers to submit papers examining various integrity, health and governance issues related to esports and virtual sports. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Match-fixing, corruption, and gambling
• Methods to dope and cheat through mechanical, technological and physiological means
• Substance use and performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs)
• Health issues (physical and mental) related to eSports and virtual sports
• Governance, regulation and policy issues
• Anti-doping, drug testing and education
• Integrity, ethics, athlete health and safety issues
• Diversity, equity and inclusion
• Discrimination and harassment

Timeline and information #

The special issue will have the following timeline:

• Abstracts are due October 1st 2024
• Submission deadline (complete manuscript): January 31st 2025
• Peer-review: February-March 2025
• Revisions: March-August 2025
• Publication of Special Issue: Fall of 2025.

For more information about the special issue, check out the complete call for papers.