There is a growing variety of genres and sub-genres to understand, especially when game developers mix and blend different types of games in new and unexpected ways. Some of the most relevant game categories include:

• Sandbox

• Real-time strategy (RTS)

• Shooters (FPS and TPS)

• Multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA)

• Simulation and sports

• Action-adventure

• Survival and horror

Communication in esports provides the ability to exchange information, ideas and emotions with your  teammates, opponents and audience. The two main communication types are verbal (speaking, writing) and non-verbal (gestures, body language). Formal communication uses in-game terminology, informal communication uses slang, additionally, it can be either positive or negative, positive communication could be praising or encouraging teammates whereas negative communication could be blaming someone or trolling.

Using appropriate language to speak to people can greatly affect the mood of them, alongside helping to improve chemistry. Being respectful and polite, using an appropriate tone and etiquette, avoiding unnecessary messages and offensive behaviour whilst acknowledging and responding to them, all factor into player moods and team chemistry.

There are many physical attributes both required, and desired for an esports player. Some of these include coordination, reaction, dexterity and strategic mindsets. Having strong hand-eye coordination is a crucial aspect to perform at a high standard, players need to move quickly and precisely, aiming and reacting to various situations in-game. Your hands and fingers need to be able to respond quickly to the visual information you are receiving from the game. Coordination can be improved through practice and playing of games, improving over time. Having a good reaction time is also cruicial within esports. Being able to react faster than your opponent gives you a higher chance of winning a duel or achieving something faster than them, for example, if you are to see your opponent first in a first-person shooter (FPS) game, you have a higher chance of killing them before they kill you, if you respond and react quick enough. This can also be improved over time, practicing and playing games will help you to have faster reaction times as you will become more used to the pace needed to react to a situation. Physical attributes are needed in all games, especially in esports. There is no specific game where physical attributes do not matter, yes, some are less important than others but they are still required for all games. For example, VALORANT, a fast paced shooter game, requires fast reaction times and good hand-eye coordination whereas, a slower paced game, for example, Terraria, would require patience.

There are two types of skills in games, macro and micro skills. Macro skills are the primary skill set relative to the context, in this case, esports. Micro skills are the small yet specific skills needed to improve.

Macro skills in esports include, map awareness, rotational play, objective control and ability timers. In first-person shooter games, all of these are huge aspects for winning games. Take VALORANT for instance, with there being seven maps available to play in competitive play, knowing your way around the map is extremely important when wanting to find information on your opponents locations. Strategies such as rotating around the map is very important if you are an attacker, and you find you are pushing into a place with most of the enemy team present, you may want to rotate to a different place as ideally, you want to push to a site where there are less people to fight, increasing your chances of gaining control of the map. If on defence, and you gain information as to where the attacking team are, rotating to catch them and stop their push would help you win games.

Micro skills in esports include, individual mechanical play, the ability to hit skill shots and reaction times. Individual mechanical play is essential to improve in all game types, mechanics include, precise shooting, movement, ability usage, crosshair placement and strafing. Take FIFA (part of the simulation and sports genre) for example, you will use mechanics to move your player around the pitch, controlling their every movement. You will use their "abilities", or skills available, depending on the skill level of the player to keep possession of the ball. In Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (part of the tactical first-person shooter genre) you will need good reaction times to both see and react to your opponent before they do, the goal being to kill them before they kill you.

In conclusion, both macro and micro skills are needed to improve within esports. Macro skills being the "more needed" skills to play the games, micro skills being the desired skills to improve within the game. Every game requires macro and micro skills, no matter the genre or whether it is an esports game or a casual game.

Each player needs a role depending on an esports discipline, each position has its responsiblities and tactics. Without knowing the role of a player, it will be challenging for an ordinary viewer to understand the logic of their actions.

Take Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (FPS shooter) for example. In CS:GO there are five main roles, entry fragger, in-game leader, lurker, support, and Coach. These roles are similar to as they are in VALORANT, except VALORANT roles depend on what in-game role (Sentinel, Initiator, Duelist, Controller) is being played.

Role - Entry Fragger

The main job for the fragger is to provide the best positions for their teammates by diverting their opponent's attention towards themselves by actively moving around the map. An entry fragger focuses enemy fire on themselves to allow their team to position themselves in areas of the map in order to defeat the enemy team. This role is suitable for a strong-willed player who loves fast and aggressive gameplay, alongside willing to sacrifice individual statistics in order for their team to succeed. In VALORANT, this role is primarily for a "Duelist" as they have the utility and abilities to be able to pull off the strategies and gameplay of an "entry fragger".

Role - In-Game Leader

The job for the in-game leader is to coordinate the teams' actions, analyse the opponents play, and select the necessary tactics needed. The in-game leader, or IGL, plays an essential role in the team's morale. They must command clearly and coordinate the players with their voice, while keeping cool-headed and self-controlled. A good understanding of the map is essential for this role. In VALORANT, this role is often played by a "Controller" or "Initiator" as they can oversee their teammates actions, put plans in place without being too involved in the fast-paced strategies.

Adapting to game updates and changes is a critical skill for an esports player. Learning and understanding how to quickly adjust to changes can give you an edge over your opponent.

When a new update or patch roles out, the first move should be to thoroughly analyse the changes, looking through patch notes or update summaries provided by the developers usually detail the alterations made to the game, such as character adjustments, item modifications, or gameplay mechanic tweaks. Understanding the specifics of the game will allow you to know how these changes will affect your strategies and playstyles that may need adapting. With a clear understanding of the changes and their impact, you must adapt your strategies. Revaluating the current approach and determining if they are still viable is crucial here. You will be required to test new hypotheses and refine your tactics through trial and error until you find the most effective new approach.

Practice is essential in solidifying new game strategies. Using scrims to test out adaptations in a low-pressure environment gives you the opportunity to assess the practicality of the new strategies and make further adjustments as needed. Reflection is the key to adapting effectively. After implementing new strategies and practicing them, reflecting on what is working and what is not working will help you to see what needs improvement.

When you watch a professional team play, they most likely have a plan in mind with all the team members knowing how to play out a round. They typically have coaches to help them play out the rounds, with the coaches having knowledge of the best strategies and ways to get in-game advantages over your opponent. There are many strategies used within VALORANT to win rounds, while some strategies may look simple, the reasoning and play-through behind the strategies are not.

Take the map "Breeze" for example. Breeze is a huge map, with two bomb planting sites and a large middle area. Open spaces make it a volatile layout, difficult for even the most skilled players to keep control of. Constant communication and intel is valuable on this map, but making the occasional risky play for control. As the map is so open, a strategy for this map is picking the most ideal agent composition, these would be the agents who can move quickly and clear vast areas without being killed in the process, gathering information when you can with information initiators or slow lurks around the map can dramatically change the strategies in place.

Here are a few strategies on Breeze for both A site and B site (image on the right is the map layout for Breeze).

A Site Push - If the defenders neglect to place an agent in Mid nest, push Mid doors as fast as possible. You may also be able to push through A hall, taking care to position some team members in A cave to catch your agents off-guard.

B Site Push - If attacking B site, make sure to come at the site from both Mid top  and B main as the defenders will often react to the B main push, meaning they are less prepared for the Mid top push.

Having a good game plan will allow your team to win more rounds throughout a game. Playing each round differently and working on what has worked previously will help you to do this. Good game plans come with time and knowledge of your opponent's strategies. 

VALOPLANT is a website in which you can create in-game strategies for your team, allowing you to use the in-game abilities to showcase how a round will be played out.

Knowing these game plans is good but these can be executed very differently to how they are planned. You must have backup plans depending on how the enemies play. Many professional teams study the tactics of enemy teams, allowing them to see where their weaknesses and strengths are. Plans change throughout the game as different scenarios are brought up.

Having a good team composition will allow you to get more information and build on your round executions