Esports Players Show Genre-Specific Cognitive Advantages in Executive Function Tests

Competitive video gaming may sharpen specific mental skills, but which ones depends heavily on the genre being played. A study comparing young adult esports players with non-gamers found that first-person shooter (FPS) players outperformed non-video game players on the Corsi Block-Tapping Test, while multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) players showed significantly shorter interference times on the Stroop Test. The authors interpret these patterns as evidence that digital game experience shapes cognitive profiles in genre-specific ways, with FPS gameplay primarily associated with higher visuospatial working memory scores and MOBA gameplay with stronger inhibition control.

The research involved ninety volunteer male participants aged 18 to 34, divided into three equal groups of thirty: active FPS players, active MOBA players, and non-video game players. Researchers assessed executive functions using three established instruments, the Corsi Block-Tapping Test, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, and the Stroop Test Çapa Form. Beyond group comparisons, the study also examined how executive function components relate to each other and to in-game rank and total game play time.

The results revealed clear separations between groups. FPS players scored significantly higher than non-gamers on the Corsi Block-Tapping Test (p < 0.001, F = 8.55) and made a significantly lower percentage of errors (p < 0.01, F = 5.58). MOBA players, by contrast, showed significantly shorter interference times than non-gamers on the Stroop Test (p < 0.001, F = 7.66), which the authors link to stronger inhibitory control.

The study also uncovered relationships between executive function components. Across all players, Corsi Block-Tapping scores correlated negatively with Stroop interference times (p < 0.05; r = −0.28), which the authors describe as pointing to an underlying interrelated structure between visuospatial working memory and inhibition. Among FPS players specifically, higher in-game skill was associated with shorter Stroop interference times (p < 0.05; r = −0.41), with the authors noting that higher in-game skill level reflected superior inhibitory control in FPS gameplay.

Nevertheless, the findings indicate that treating gaming as a single uniform activity obscures meaningful variation, and that genre-specific differences should be taken into account when studying the executive function profiles of esports players.

Subject of Research: More than gaming: Examining executive functions in esports players

Article Title: More than gaming: Examining executive functions in esports players

Article References: Yalçıner, S., & Özdayı, N. (2026). More than gaming: Examining executive functions in esports players. PLOS One, 21(10), e0360942. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0360942

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0360942

Keywords: than, gaming, Examining, executive, functions, esports, players, scientific research