A sporting chance

With the world shut down, sports fans and athletes look to sport simulation videogames

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The concept of esports is nothing new, but there’s always been a divide between pro gaming and real-life sport. You’d probably get a funny look if you asked Premier League footballers to decide the result of the Championship with a game of FIFA, and rightly so. But in the Covid-19 era, the sporting community has proved surprisingly adaptive. Media channels have been broadcasting certain sport simulation videogames as a substitute for live events, giving fans and athletes a crucial outlet. Some of the bigger players in sports are even starting to think about how the lines between virtual and real sports might be blurring.

Even off-road motorsports are taking to simulations, with the European Truck Trials using gameplay from Nano Games’ Heavy Duty Challenge to keep fans entertained. But one of the most successful alternatives to real events comes courtesy of Formula 1, which is using Codemasters’