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Abstract
The esports industry has found itself at a critical stage in the quest for continuous growth and sustainable development, facing both tremendous opportunities and significant challenges. For achieving enhanced revenue generation and consumer retention, understanding esports consumption is essential for the inchoate yet burgeoning industry, especially in an online environment where a majority of fans follow the competitive scene of esports. The purpose of this research is to explain esports consumers psychological processes and pertinent behaviors through the lens of the Self-Determination Theory (SDT). The research adds to the existing literature on consumer motivation by developing an SDT model in esports. By conceptualizing intrinsic motivation reflected by basic human needs, namely, competence, autonomy, and relatedness, as well as different types of extrinsic motivation and regulatory styles as antecedents to esports consumers commitment, WOM intentions, and behavioral responses, a more in-depth understanding of esports consumers decision-making process has been revealed.