Egor Karasyov, psychologist of Virtus.pro Academy, talks about working with young players,
burnout, pressure, criticism, and why mental health topics are rarely discussed publicly in esports.
Staff psychologists have become a standard part of esports teams in recent years.
We spoke with Egor Karasyov, psychologist of Virtus.pro Academy, about burnout, pressure,
communication inside teams, and why mental health issues are rarely discussed publicly.
— What does a psychologist actually do in esports, and why is this role needed?
— First of all, a psychologist helps maintain a healthy atmosphere within the team.
My job is to make sure conflicts are resolved calmly and quickly, both in-game and outside of the game.
— How does this differ from a psychologist in school or a company?
— Esports has its own specifics. For example, I attend tryouts for new players and can immediately
assess how well someone will fit into the team.
— How long have you been working with Virtus.pro?
— Almost two years now. I work mainly with the Prodigy roster and also help Future.
— Are players able to come to you with personal issues?
— Of course. I attend practices, matches, bootcamps. Players can approach me anytime to discuss
any concerns.
— How do you deal with negative communication during matches?
— Simply telling a player “this was bad” doesn’t work. You need to explain why it’s harmful,
how it affects the team, and what would have been a better reaction.
— How do players react to this feedback?
— If you talk calmly and after emotions cool down, reactions are always positive.
We review TeamSpeak recordings together to analyze situations.
— How common is burnout among young players?
— Much less common than in adult teams. Young players are usually very motivated and curious.
— What psychological challenges do young players face most often?
— Focus issues. Some players tunnel vision on aiming and forget communication,
others talk too much and lose focus. These are things we work on together with coaches.
— How dangerous is public criticism and betting-related hate?
— Betting culture affects esports more than traditional sports. Players get blamed for losses
by people who lost money. We teach players not to take such comments seriously.
— Are there cases when players leave esports due to mental health issues?
— At tier-1 level this is rare. Usually such situations are kept private,
because public disclosure can harm both the player and the organization.
— Is a healthy lifestyle important for performance?
— Absolutely. Sleep, nutrition, and physical activity all affect reaction and focus.
Even a 5–10% difference matters at a high level.
— Final thoughts?
— Mental health should not be a taboo topic. If there’s a problem, it can be solved —
the key is recognizing it.
Original interview on Virtus.pro Telegram →
