# Esports Training, Periodization, and Software--A Scoping Review
## 1 Introduction  
Esports has proven to be a growing area of interest. This interest is not universally spread between varying disciplines. Gaming, esports, and interactive computer-simulated environments seem to be well established in the area of psychology [1; 2; 3; 4]. Such psychological factors are sometimes related to the physical characteristics of esports [5]. Finally, comprehensive reviews relate traditional sports to esports and verify biopsychosocial factors holistically [6]. The same can be said for the broad information and communication technologies area of research, where simulated environments help in robotics and AI research [7]. Because of this, research on gaming and esports that deals with players at the height of their abilities is crucial. After all, in between areas of science, we can identify the algorithms, information systems, and data-based visualization tools that can support effective high-performance training in gaming and esports [8]. However, some distinct parts of sports sciences are seldom investigated in the context of esports. In traditional sports, topics such as training stages, periodization, stimuli/exercise selection, and control are well defined within the area of sports theory [9; 10]. Let us assume that one would like to start strength training--there are multiple well-described methods for progression, rest times, and which exercises are best for this goal [11; 12]. Similarly, researchers in sports define techniques that aim at improving regeneration through active and passive means [13; 14]. In esports, it currently seems that there are no well-defined exercises, no definitions for intensity and load, and no way to test or verify progression quickly and assess it against actual in-game performance. While gaming and esports are areas where data are abundant and relatively easy to access by anyone with computer skills [15; 16; 17; 18], we seem to know nothing about the internal workings of this area. Essential information on properly structuring esports training from start to finish remains to be discovered and made available to the broader community. There are limited readily available tools that assist in periodization and uncovering what kind of training structure is optimal for various game genres. The ability to achieve the highest sports results is a derivative of a well-functioning and properly planned--and broadly understood--sports training system. According to the model's assumptions, it consists of the subsystems forecasting, training, recovery and competition, qualification for sports, infrastructure and material support, and coaching staff. Therefore, it can be stated that only comprehensive solutions enable the achievement of sports mastery in every discipline [9]. We perceive esports as a field that is expanding very fast, with many groups of interest and stakeholders, mainly players, media, tournament organizers, and others [19; 20; 21]. Games provide an ever-changing environment that may be impossible to research effectively in pursuit of a comprehensive model of training at the highest level of play [22; 23; 24]. What if some of the skills that the players work for are instantly outdated by a new game release? In that case, we would like to emphasize the fundamental knowledge of exercises, scheduling, planning, and periodization that can be applied to any game. Research on esports is fragmented by the very nature of this phenomenon. Games differ from one to another to varying degrees. Such differences include the required mechanical skills, game rulesets, and display methods. Existing works have described some genre differences; a non-exhaustive list of genres and game examples is as follows:  
1. First-person shooters (FPSs), e.g., Counter-Strike, Call of Duty, Overwatch, Valorant, and others;
2. Real-time strategy (RTS), e.g., StarCraft 2, Warcraft 3, Age of Empires, Stormgate, ZeroSpace;
3. Role-playing games (RPGs), e.g., The Witcher, The Elder Scrolls, Cyberpunk 2077, Fallout;
4.