How should sports video games be designed to appeal to gamers?

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In this study, we provide insights that are directly relevant for practitioners in sports organizations, game development, and marketing. The results demonstrate that sports video games (SVGs) are more than just entertainment products: they represent powerful tools to generate commercial opportunities and to strengthen the connection between fans and real-life sport. What is particularly important for practitioners to recognize is that not all gamers respond to the same features in the same way. For example, competitive and social features not only drive a gamer’s sense of ownership of virtual items but also increase their willingness to spend money within the game. Discovery elements, such as finding rare items or unlocking hidden content, add another layer of engagement that further motivates in-game purchases. At the same time, features such as fantasy, escapism, and sport context encourage players to translate their virtual experience into real-life soccer participation. From a practitioner’s perspective, these findings underline that a one-size-fits-all approach to video game design and commercialization will not work. Younger players, particularly those belonging to Generation Z, are more motivated by community-driven, social, and competitive experiences, whereas more experienced or hardcore gamers may place stronger value on realism and the authenticity of the sporting experience. This means that sports organizations and their partners must segment their audiences carefully and design games that cater to these different needs. Tailored approaches allow organizations to unlock new revenue streams through microtransactions and exclusive in-game content, while at the same time using immersive and social features to deepen fan identification with the sport and encourage real-life engagement. In practice, this means that focusing on multiplayer environments, integrating meaningful social features, and designing mechanisms that reward competition and discovery are particularly effective strategies. Scarcity, exclusivity, and the thrill of finding rare items can be leveraged to boost in-game spending, while immersive experiences that allow gamers to “live” aspects of the sport they cannot access in reality can inspire them to play or watch soccer more actively. For practitioners, the study provides a roadmap: video games can be designed not only as revenue drivers but also as long-term engagement platforms that bridge virtual and physical sport participation.

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