The ever-changing esports world is a wonder once you crack it open. Finding out the billions of dollars that are poured into and cashed out because of the spectacle of video games never gets old to witness, with specific genres and titles spending years, even decades, in the mainstream.
There is no denying its draw, so much so that the International Olympic Committee has welcomed and invited esports to many official events. Gamers-turned-athletes are getting closer and closer to the dream of being recognized worldwide for their dedication, abilities, and craft.
If it’s possible to compare esports to traditional sports on a team and individual level, then what would be the limitations for illegal performance enhancers? And what, if any, restrictions should be in place to make the ecosystem as fair as possible? What happens when your primary tool to compete isn’t regulated?
This applies to many input devices in esports, but today we’ll focus on the ever-popular gaming controller. The most recognizable silhouette, one that has taken a familiar rectangular shape across all platforms with two handles, plenty of buttons, and two sticks.
Without naming knockoffs, many iterations of it can be found across consoles, altering stick and button placements to basics like button names and symbols. The gist of it is that most controllers come with a directional left stick, a secondary camera right stick, a directional set of arrows on the left, four action buttons on the right, and four buttons on the triggers, split left and right at the top.
This means that fighting games, racing games, sports games, and even some shooters all share the same mold, making it easy to pick and choose a controller that works for you in size, color, and layout. Enter the controller back paddle.
Controller back paddles are extra buttons on the back of a gamepad, allowing esports pros and casuals alike to map actions to their otherwise unused ring and pinky fingers whilst resting the controller between both palms.
This, in turn, gives everyone who uses them a significant competitive edge in many different settings, triggering animations, actions, and repetitions without ever leaving your comfortable grip on the buttons or sticks. Paddles can come built-in on branded high-end controllers or as kit attachments for regular ones; therefore, regulations governing them in official competitions are inconsistent, to say the least.
Some fighting tournaments ban participants from adding extra directional input on standard controllers, which can limit or even disqualify the use of paddles altogether. Other leagues in sports simulation and FPS categories consider standard controllers acceptable without specifying whether mapping paddles to their standard buttons and actions is prohibited, leaving fans and pros in a grey competitive area.
Whilst current regulations are still up in the air, the question shouldn’t be “when are we going to settle them?” but instead “what are we going to agree on?” In my opinion, paddles should've been illegal when they were only possible as attachments to the rear of regular gamepads.
Since the release of Microsoft and Sony controllers with official paddles, regulations should now be a conversation of "when", not "if." All competitors who can get a hold of a controller with paddles should be able to use them freely, regardless of title, genre, or event.
Of course, paddles will give players an advantage only possible if you have the knowledge and the means to acquire said controllers, but banning or restricting their use would only slow down and even stop META’s, players’, and esports’ growth as a whole. Not much different from allowing mechanical over membrane keyboards for KBM esports pros.
If you can beat an opponent with paddles without using them yourself, more power to you. But if a legal paddle-user bests you to lift the trophy, I'm afraid that's a skill issue on your part.
TL;DR: Get gud, kid. And get paddles.
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