Background. It is well known that the concept of e-sports has undergone significant development today. E-sports is a branch of sport based on online games. As a professional activity, it is equated with competitive activity.
Objectives. The aim of the study is to determine the motivation of the students of the Faculty of Sports Sciences to participate in e-sports.
Methods. The research group of the study consists of volunteer students with an average age of 20.15±2.57 years, studying at the sports science faculties of Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University, Gazi University, Sivas Cumhuriyet University, and Kırıkkale Universities. The participants consist of a total of 265 university students, 105 of whom are female and 160 of whom are male. The E-Sports Participation Motivation Scale (EKMS) developed by Öz and Üstün (2019) was used to collect data.
Results. As a result of the study, it was found that there was a significant difference in favor of women only in the competence sub-dimension of the gender variable in the motivation to participate in e-sports (p<0.05). while the region of residence, monthly income, and ownership of a personal device had no influence on the motivation to participate in e-sports was achieved.
Conclusion. The number of studies in the field of e-sports is increasing every day. It is inevitable that these studies will contribute to the development and spread of e-sports. The increase of more comprehensive and qualitative research-based approaches in this field will contribute to the popularity of e-sports and the diversity of application areas.
