Player Perception Matters: Insights into the Use of Esports Live Companion Tools

As player demand for information about esports games surges, live companion tools were developed to help them understand game-related knowledge, make decisions, and review post-game data. Despite growing interest, little is currently known about how different users perceive and use commercially available apps and their different features. However, this is important for creating tools that actually meet players' needs. To help fill this gap, we selected two companion apps for two different competitive game genres and explored them with respect to four dimensions - understandability, informativeness, decision making, and trustworthiness - across professional and nonprofessional players. Towards this end, we first conducted an online survey to assess users' perception around these dimensions. This was followed by online interviews to gain further insights. Through statistical and thematic analysis, our results highlight commonalities and disparities in user behavior and preferences across user groups, contributing to our understanding and future design of live companion tools.