Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a future where people live in cyber space as brains and machines, even if their bodies perish, and participate in society by connecting with the physical world is becoming a reality. In order for people to live like human beings even in cyber space, expectations are high for the development of "Cyber Sport" where anyone play while communicating their facial expressions and physical information by fusing with advanced ICT technologies such as avatars, VR / AR, and AI to foster vitality and bonds.

One promising candidate is further development of electronic sport (eSport), which enables online competition of video games. Now is the time to promote "eSports Science" that focuses on the offline/online competitions of modern eSport and elucidates the mental and physical responses to these competitions in comparison to physical sport.

Exercise by one person enhances vitality (mood and cognitive function), but sport by two or more people also develop bonds (non-cognitive ability such as empathy) through a specific brain mechanism. Whether eSport can reproduce these effects is the key to cyber sport development.

In this study, we aim to elucidate the benefits of eSport and its brain mechanisms on vitality and bonds, exploring the potential for educational, social welfare, and medical implementation through an industry-academic-government collaboration of eSport science that integrates Sport Neuroscience and ICT.