Most people don’t realise the power they hold when they fill out the annual NZ Esports Gamer Survey. It’s just a few minutes, a handful of questions, but those answers help us understand where to start, what opportunities to prioritise, barriers that exist and what gaps need filling. You might not see your impact immediately, but it’s there.
This isn’t just abstract influence. For example, the 2024 survey data shaped major decisions, from choosing which games featured in our online school league to helping build our school presentation on why schools should take esports seriously when it comes to student wellbeing.
So what else did we learn?
What We Learned in 2024
The 2024 Gamer Survey shattered some long-held assumptions about who gamers really are. Far from the stereotype of isolated players in dark basements, the data revealed a community that’s physically active, socially engaged, and deeply connected to their schools and each other.
Esports players in New Zealand spend an average of 7.8 hours per week being physically active. That’s 70% more than the average Kiwi adult. 60% play at least one traditional sport weekly, with soccer, basketball, and tennis leading the pack. The image of the sedentary gamer simply doesn’t match reality.
The social benefits were equally striking. 87% of respondents said esports helped them build friendships, with 91% reporting that it helped them socially connect with others. For students, the impact extended into the classroom: 67% felt supported by their parents in esports, 65% said it made them more excited for school, and 87% found it helped them connect socially.
The survey also gave us our clearest demographic picture yet. While 91% of respondents identified as male, we know from broader gaming data that female gamers make up 48% of New Zealand’s overall gaming scene.
The Gap That Remains
Alongside the positive findings, the 2024 survey revealed something harder to ignore: a huge number of players were still on the outside looking in. They played, they trained, they followed international tournaments, but they didn’t know how to enter one. They didn’t know where New Zealand teams came from or feel confident enough to put themselves forward.
This raises crucial questions: what’s stopping female and gender-diverse players from competing in our open and female qualifiers? What barriers are keeping nearly half of our gaming community from taking that step into competitive esports?
The data showed us what people were playing and how gaming impacted their lives. What it couldn’t fully capture was why so many players never took the next step. Understanding these perspectives became one of our biggest priorities for 2025.
Building on What We Know
The 2025 NZ Esports Gamer Survey builds directly on last year’s foundation. We’re still asking about gaming habits, physical activity, and social connection, but we’re also digging deeper into the barriers that keep players from progressing.
We’re also asking how visible the pathway actually feels. Do you know how to qualify for international events? Do you know who the E Blacks are? Do you know what NZ Esports even does?
These aren’t small questions. They represent the difference between a scene that grows and one that quietly loses people every year.
Why Every Player Matters
One of the biggest mistakes esports makes is assuming only the top few percent matter. In reality, every national player started as someone playing in their bedroom, on a phone, or in a school lab after class.
That’s why the 2025 survey is open to everyone: console players, PC players, mobile players, students, parents, workers, streamers, people who compete every weekend, and people who have never entered a tournament. Your answers tell us where the pipeline is breaking, where people drop out, and where opportunity stops being visible. That’s how we fix it.
Real Impact, Real Change
The data from this survey is one of the ways we can prove to partners and the government that esports in New Zealand is real, diverse, and worth backing. Last year’s data helped break down stereotypes about gamers being inactive and antisocial. This year’s data will help us understand how to build a truly accessible esports pathway.
We know your time is valuable. To show our appreciation, everyone who completes the survey goes in the draw to win one of two $250 Prezzy Cards.
But, every entry counts. The more people who take part, the more powerful the picture becomes, and the stronger the future of esports in New Zealand gets.
Take the 2025 NZ Esports & Gamer Survey
Your entry will be included in the draw for one of two $250 Prezzy Cards. The survey takes under five minutes to complete.
- Survey closes on Friday, the 6th of February 2026.
- Winners will be chosen late February.
