With gaming indulgence now identified as a diagnosable disorder by the World Health Organization, one question hangs in the sky blazing in neon lights: Are professional gamers game addicts?



The short answer is no. The longer answer lies below.



Gaming disorder, as defined by WHO, applies to those who have difficulty controlling their behavior, whose fixation on gaming undermines other critical aspects of life such as human connections and work.



SKT T1’s League of Legends star player “Faker” Lee Sang-hyeok (Riot Games)



“Addiction is akin to social isolation. People who are addicted often display lack of interest in the world other than their obsession,” said Kim Jong-seong, a senior manager at Korea e-Sports Association.



“But esports is the opposite -- it’s about bringing individual gamers out into the world to teamwork, connect with the mass and possibly gain fame,” Kim said.



“Furthermore, professional esports is systematic. For example, if the players spend 12 hours training, they would have specific hours for solo play training, group play training, with regular nutrition intake hours and workouts in between.”



SKT T1 takes home 100 million won ($82,700) in prize money for winning LCK Spring 2019. (Riot Games)



Kim declined to speak for the KeSPA in regards to WHO’s adoption of gaming disorder in May.



Beyond the social and systematic side, it is also known that many pro gamers are able to make a lucrative living out of their endeavors. Esports professionals in League of Legends surveyed in Korea made an average annual salary of 175.6 million won ($145,000) in 2018.



More specifically, according to Korea Creative Content Agency, of the 51 League of Legends Champions Korea first-tier players who responded to the institute’s survey, 37.3 percent, or 19 total, said they received more than 100 million won from their team in 2018.



The average age of the respondents was 20.8, with the youngest being 17 and the oldest being 26. The median age 22 was the largest in number.



Like any other hobby or sport elevated to a professional level, such as soccer or ballet, esports require intense training and career entry at an early age, but it remains to be seen if attempts to go pro in gaming could instead result in children becoming addicted.



LCK Spring 2019 finals (Riot Games)