Powering up healthy gaming at Gold Coast national youth esports championships

While the main quest of the weekend may be to take out gold in the national finals, researchers from Southern Cross University will be setting a side quest for students: to boost their XP (experience points) in safe and healthy gaming.

Around 800 students will be competing in the FUSE Esports Festival, ranging in ages from 11 to 18.

The competition will feature games such as Beat Saber, Just Dance 2025, Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros, and Rocket League.

Esports is the organised, competitive playing of video games. It has exploded in popularity in recent years, with competitions drawing millions of online views and prize pools reaching up to USD$40-million.

According to the Office of the eSafety Commissioner, 47 per cent of Australians aged 8-17 have played an esport game, such as first-person shooters, sports games, collectible card games or real-time strategy games, while two-thirds of young people spend more than six hours per week playing online video games.

Challenging common misconceptions, researchers at Southern Cross University are spotlighting the positive outcomes esports can have for young gamers.

“The FUSE Cup removes a lot of the perceived risks of esports, such as playing online with strangers. The competition involves in-person, supervised tournaments across the school terms. Students are getting the same teamwork, leadership, communication and development opportunities that they would in traditional sport,” said Dr Dylan Poulus, Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Health.

“Esports can be a vehicle for learning about digital safety as well as having fun and developing psychosocial soft skills. It’s a new avenue of connection, competence and competition for young people.”

Southern Cross University recently launched the Healthy Esports Initiative, designed to foster cultural change in the esports community by encouraging structured, intentional participation — mirroring traditional sports through organised training sessions, strategic game reviews, and professional coaching.

Mental and physical health are also key foci for researchers. In partnership with Movember, Dr Poulus is developing the first international mental health guidelines for esports.

Fellow researcher Dr Kyle Bennett recently published the Performance through Health approach, which positions wellbeing as the foundation for high performance in esports, rather than a barrier, and encourages regular breaks, physical activity, sleep hygiene and mental recovery.

Dan Martinez, COO of The FUSE Cup, said the FUSE Esports Festival was more than just a gaming competition.

“The FUSE Cup is proud to partner with Southern Cross University to bring students together for an exciting, inclusive and positive esports competition,” said Mr Martinez.

“Our events focus on providing a safe space for students to learn, collaborate, and showcase their skills while promoting digital wellbeing and positive gaming behaviours. We're thrilled to see the growing impact of school-based esports in fostering teamwork, critical thinking, resilience, and STEM engagement.”

Southern Cross University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Tyrone Carlin, said esports represented a powerful intersection of technology, education and wellbeing.

“As esports continues to grow, so does the need for thoughtful, research-driven approaches to health and performance,” Professor Carlin said.

“Southern Cross University is proud to be at the forefront of this movement, ensuring that esports participation goes hand-in-hand with wellbeing and education.”

The FUSE Cup state championships will be held on Friday November 14, followed by the national finals on Saturday November 15.

Students, families, and community members are invited to attend the FUSE Esports Festival, which will include live gaming challenges, VR experiences, prizes and food trucks.

The finals will be live-streamed to schools across Australia and New Zealand via the FUSE Cup YouTube channel.

Register to attend at www.fusefestival.com.au.