Team Liquid and Alienware Create New Esports Data Facility: The Pro Lab

Team Liquid and Alienware have worked together to create state of the art gaming facilities for years. Today, a new feature was announced for both the Santa Monica and Utrecht Alienware Training Facility locations, The Pro Lab. The Pro Lab is a brand new concept for the esports scene. It’s a data-centric and science driven performance lab to allow athletes to get the best performance possible.

How Does It Work?

For as long as esports have been a thing, coaches, trainers and players have all worked with in game metrics as their key source of data as well as key performance indicators. And while these have their time and place, a lot more goes into an athlete performing his or her best. The Pro Lab is designed to get those harder to reach intangibles to create a custom training program for an athlete. To measure this, The Pro Lab will conduct tests with Alienware computers using BrainFirst’s NeurOlympic software for the following core skills:

• Working Memory
• Anticipation Skills
• Inhibition Skills
• Automaticity
• Selective Attention
• Sustained Attention
• Divided Attention
• Emotional Regulation
• Reaction Time

Simply put, one of the biggest issues in esports is players burning out or failing to get the help that they need to succeed. Esports companies, like Team Liquid, already spend tremendous amounts of money on psychologist, performance scientist and analyst to make sure their athletes are performing. And while this is great, being able to tailor stuff, even if it’s minor, can make a difference in the long run health of players.Furthermore, this is a model that is also mirrored in traditional sports. The initial NeurOlympic data is comprised mainly of traditional sport athletes. Overtime, this data will be adjusted where needed to further help esports athletes.

To help illustrate the point of The Pro Lab, imagine if a player in League of Legends didn’t understand a mechanic from a new champion. Some people could see a video or read something and understand it perfectly. Other people might need to go into game a try it hands on themselves. That is a very simplistic look at a problem The Pro Lab is trying to solve. If a player prefers the hands on approach, it’s probably better to let them try it in game. If the coaching staff knows that now, then great, they can work with the team better.

This Is The Future of Esports:

At the end of the day, if coaches and players are more aware of what each other need to succeed, it should help out teams. This isn’t just a Team Liquid issue. Team Liquid and Alienware plan on releasing their findings to help push the industry forward. This isn’t even the end for The Pro Lab. Overtime, more features will be added including ways to help with players physical health such as nutrition, hydration and recovery. The Pro Lab could very well be the future of the industry of esports. If you want to read more about The Pro Lab, check out the Team Liquid blogpost here.

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