Razer launches esports wellness program for players

Gaming peripherals company Razer has unveiled an esports wellness program called “Champions Start from Within” today. The program will aim to promote healthy and sustainable gaming habits for professional and amateur players through collaboration with psychologists, physical therapists, nutritionists, and other experts.

These experts will be providing material in the form of videos, articles, and events. Both mental and physical wellness have become a topic in the esports community as the industry grows every year. Last year, several elite CS:GO players like olofmeister, Xyp9x, and gla1ve had to step away from competing because they were feeling symptoms related to burnout. Some of the most common symptoms experienced by gamers are headaches, vision issues, insomnia, back or neck pain, and hand or wrist pain, according to a survey in Razer’s press release.

“Champions Start from Within” is focused on four key points: physical activity, mental health, sleep, and nutrition. Razer will organize panel discussions to shed light on the mental and physical demands of esports with experts, doctors, and professional players who are sponsored by the company, such as mousesports’ CS:GO star ropz. There will also be one-on-one sections with the experts via an appointment system.

On top of that, Razer has set up a calendar of events and content for the rest of 2021, including a dedicated wellness webinar set to take place in November with experts in the esports wellness industry. The webinar will be open to the public and is set to bring more awareness and support to esports athletes.

“The esports scene is dynamic and fast-paced, and that’s what makes it so exciting and engaging – but the industry hasn’t placed a lot of emphasis on physical and mental health, so many athletes are often unaware of how to care for their minds and bodies for a longer-lasting career,” said Flo Gutierrez, Razer’s director of global esports.

The “Champions Start from Within” content is already live on Razer’s official website with articles from Ritual Motion, a health and wellness brand, and a series of videos from Respawn Therapy, an organization consisting of doctors of physical therapy that wants to improve the health and wellness of gamers.