Expert video game domain knowledge and decision-making: applying the critical decision method to Team Fortress 2 players

Expertise and its underlying factors are of keen interest to both esports researchers and practitioners. While a multitude of factors contributes to expert performance, there remains a limited understanding of how expert players utilize contextual game knowledge during the decision-making process. This study explored the perceptions of expert video game players regarding decision making and the role of contextual game knowledge in high-level play. Six expert players in the video game Team Fortress 2 were interviewed using the critical decision method, an interview technique designed for eliciting expert knowledge subject to an inductive reflexive thematic analysis. Decision making with expert play in Team Fortress 2 is influenced by a complex knowledge structure, including the segmentation of distinct sequences of play, predetermined roles, and their relative value; defined “default actions” with opportunities for adaptation, and the identification of strategic advantages and extraludic influences. To further the understanding of this knowledge structure, a “levels of analysis” framework was proposed that delineates gameplay into three distinct levels: the Metagame, Macrogame, and Microgame.