Do home crowds make a difference in esports?

Andrew Rogers

BBC Newsbeat

Fans at last year’s RLCS competition in London

RLCS Fans in the stands of a stadium wearing esports team tshirts point at the camera and cheer — Fans at last year’s RLCS competition in London

Conventional wisdom tells us professional athletes perform best in front of a home crowd.

Great Britain’s Olympic team won a record medal haul at London 2012 and England’s Lionesses won the Euros at Wembley in 2022, 56 years after the men’s national football team won the World Cup at home.

Does that same home advantage apply in esports?

BBC Newsbeat asked four competitors at this weekend’s Rocket League Championship Series in Birmingham to find out.

Players compete in the popular online game by driving cars around an arena, trying to push an oversized ball into the opposing team’s goal.

The event brings 16 of the world’s top teams together to compete for a prize pot of more than £270,000 ($350,000).

Finlay ‘rise.’ Ferguson – Team Twisted Minds

Finlay now lives and plays in Saudi Arabia, but grew up in Manchester

RLCS A man with dark brown hair wearing a set of gaming headphones talks into a microphone while looking at a screen. He's wearing an esports gaming jersey — Finlay now lives and plays in Saudi Arabia, but grew up in Manchester

While millions watch esports online, most fans say there’s nothing like being in the arena with the roar of the crowd.

Finlay, 20, from Manchester, says it’s one reason UK events stand out in the international calendar.

“I think UK crowds are always the best,” he says, explaining that they’re more creative in their chanting, and make more noise than American spectators.

Finlay thinks that could be down to our affection for another sport.

“Football’s ingrained into UK culture,” he says.

And, similar to real-life sport, crowds aren’t afraid to play favourites.

“I think as an English player the crowd will always get behind their own,” he says.

On top of that, his parents will be coming along to watch too.

“It’s going to be a good weekend,” he says.

Joe ‘Joyo’ Young – Team Geekay

Joe won first place at the 2022 Spring London Major

RLCS A man with blonde hair styles in curtains wears glasses and looks to the side of the camera. He's sitting in a professional gaming chair and wearing a set of headphones — Joe won first place at the 2022 Spring London Major

Joe, from Workington, agrees that having the crowd behind you can help but doesn’t feel like it changes that much overall.

He agrees with Finley that UK crows are loud and lively, but says he usually blocks most of it out.

Esports players compete with over-ear headphones to make sure they get immersive surround sound from the game, and can hear their team-mates.

“I just try and lock in and zone out the crowd”, says Joe.

Joe, who tells Newsbeat he lives “in the middle of nowhere” in north-west England – says traveling to some of the major venues where events happen takes away some of the “home advantage” feeling.