The third one closed with enormous success edition of EspoGame (organized by Italian Esports Observatory, Sport Digital House and Italian Exhibition Group), an event dedicated to Esports, gaming e web3 which animated the Rimini Fair from 15 to 16 March, and which also served as an opportunity to present numbers, data and statistics of the Esports sector in Italy.
In fact, the results of the ricerca “Hardcore Gamers e Esports fan in Italia”conducted by YouGov for the Italian Esports Observatory.
Esports in Italy, where are we?
The research refers to the Esports market in Italydividing the field between Hardcore Gamers ed Esports Fan. The former are those who play more than 21 hours a week, while the latter are enthusiasts who spend less than three hours a day in front of the PC.
In total in Italy there are over 6 million gamerswith 2021 crowned as the year that saw an increase in Esports fans, a record that unfortunately was not repeated in 2022. At the beginning of 2023 it is estimated that there are almost 5 million Esports fans in our country, while hardcore gamers are around 1, 2 millions.
Furthermore hardcore gamers and Esports fans are quite optimistic and proactive in the relationship with technology, augmented reality and cryptocurrencies. The research also shows data relating to the subdivision between women and men: hardcore gamers are divided into 58% men and 42% women; Esports fans, for their part, see an overwhelming male predominance with 70% men and 30% women.
Finally, both categories are projected towards the use of cryptocurrencies and social platforms.
Luigi Caputo’s statement
“The data that emerged from the research tell of an ever-changing esports market in Italy,” he commented Luigi Caputo, founder of the Italian Esports Observatory and organizer of EspoGame, who continues “The fluctuation in interest is evident, but the fact that should certainly be underlined is the female presence, which in 2023 undergoes a radical change. While in the past years the percentages between female gamers and fans were substantially similar, now we see a clear distinction.
The number of video gamers remains very high, while that of simple female enthusiasts decreases. This is a signal that should be picked up especially by sponsors. It is now an established fact that there is an important community of female gamers in Italy, and consequently investments should also start to enhance this world. In absolute numbers, then, the fans have remained essentially unchanged in the last three years. This should lead to a reflection in the operators of the sector, in trying to join forces to spread the culture of gaming as much as possible”.