[Air-L] Call for Papers: Esports at HICSS 60

[Piotr Siuda]

Esports at HICSS

60th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS)
January 5–8, 2027, Hilton Waikoloa Village

The Esports minitrack at HICSS welcomes submissions that explore the
rapidly evolving world of competitive gaming and its broader technological,
social, economic, and cultural implications. Esports has developed from a
niche subculture into a global, multi-billion-dollar industry, offering
rich opportunities for interdisciplinary research across fields such as
media studies, sport management, sociology, computer science, and business.

This minitrack aims to advance both theoretical and practical understanding
of esports. We invite conceptual, theoretical, empirical, and
methodological contributions examining electronic competition and its
surrounding ecosystems, including players, fans, organizations,
technologies, and communities. Researchers from all disciplines and
methodological traditions are encouraged to submit.

DATES
June 15, 2026 – Paper submission deadline
August 17, 2026 – Decision notification
September 22, 2026 – Final manuscripts due
October 1, 2026 – Deadline for at least one author to register for HICSS
January 5–8, 2027 – Conference (Hilton Waikoloa Village, Hawaii)

ESPORTS TOPICS
Possible topics include, but are not limited to:
Esports business models, consumer behavior, and marketing
Governance, policy, and regulation in esports
Team dynamics and performance analytics
AI and data analytics in esports training and gameplay
Streaming cultures and esports spectatorship
Gender, diversity, and inclusion in esports
Esports communities and social identities
Relations between esports, traditional sports, and media
VR/AR/XR and emerging technologies in competitive gaming
Game design and balancing for competitive play
Esports events and live production
Cognitive and behavioral aspects of esports performance

LINKS
Conference website: https://hicss.hawaii.edu
Submission system: https://hicss-submissions.org
Author instructions: https://hicss.hawaii.edu/authors/

CO-CHAIRS
David P. Hedlund – St. John’s University
Piotr Siuda – Kazimierz Wielki University
Emma Witkowski – RMIT University
Lindsey Darvin – Syracuse University