The Truth Behind Esports Analysis Industry: When AI Meets the Wall of Empty Information

Bùi Sơn | Sports Analysis Expert

In the world of esports, where everything moves at the speed of light, there is a silent crisis that no one wants to admit: we are building sophisticated analysis machines on a sand foundation. This is the sharpest conclusion drawn from an internal report that shocked the esports media community last week — a report showing that even the most advanced algorithms have to throw in the towel when facing empty input data.

I have been tracking the esports industry for 19 years, from my early days as a player and tournament organizer to becoming a fact-based provocative writer in the Chinese market. And I say it bluntly: this is not a technology problem. This is an industry-wide work culture problem.

The flawed philosophy killing esports analysis

Seven years ago, when I started writing for football platforms in Guangzhou, veteran editors passed down a lesson: "Never write about what you don't know." Sounds simple, but the esports industry has been systematically ignoring this principle.

The two-stage analysis model (Stage-1 and Stage-2) that the tech world is praising is a typical example. Stage one extracts information from source articles; stage two applies an in-depth analysis framework. Theory is perfect. Reality is miserable.

The problem lies here: when the source article has no content, the algorithm still tries to fill in the blanks. And this is when everything collapses. No team names, no tournament information, no player data — the algorithm stands before a white wall and... reports "N/A - insufficient information" for all nine analysis dimensions.

I witnessed the same thing happen with Chinese football teams. They built scouting systems with drones and AI, but when investigating deeply, they discovered that half of the "potential players" in the database were information incorrectly entered by part-time staff from unreliable sources. Technology was cutting-edge, but the foundation was hollow.

Lessons from the Zahavi case and the "blame the algorithm" culture

Summer 2026, I wrote an article opposing Guangzhou R&F's over-reliance on Eran Zahavi. Colleagues ridiculed me, fans mocked me mercilessly. But at season's end, defensive statistics proved I was right — 46 goals conceded, finishing 5th instead of top 3 as expected.

What I learned: analysis value comes from manual verification, from watching matches with your own eyes, from conversations with coaches and players. No algorithm can replace field experience.

Today, esports tech companies are making the same mistake Chinese football teams made a decade ago: believing that algorithms can compensate for poor data quality. They build nine-dimension analysis machines, but leave the input data supply unmonitored.

When I read the report about the Stage-2 model rating everything as "N/A" because Stage-1 returned empty, I wasn't surprised. I just wondered: who will take responsibility for this?

Vietnam's esports market: Early warning for "garbage input" risk

Vietnam's esports industry is on a hot growth trajectory. International tournaments featuring Vietnamese teams achieved record viewership. Traditional football clubs began investing in esports teams. Money keeps pouring in.

But data infrastructure remains rudimentary. Vietnamese esports journalists largely work independently, lacking standardized information processes. Social media is flooded with unverified rumors and "leaks." And when AI platforms start collecting data from these sources, we will face a quality disaster.

I saw this happen in China. In 2026, a major analysis platform proudly advertised its match result prediction algorithm with "highest industry accuracy." Six months later, they went bankrupt after investors discovered that the prediction model was primarily based on... trend charts from fan forums.

Don't let Vietnam's esports industry repeat this mistake.

The solution lies in humans, not algorithms

There's a saying in Chinese football commentary: "The map is not as good as the finger." Meaning, no matter how sophisticated your analysis system is, you still need someone to point at the map — someone present at the scene, with relationships, with intuition honed through thousands of matches.

During the first 72 hours of the COVID-19 pandemic, when all tournaments froze and my media company laid off 40% of staff, I asked myself: how do I create valuable content when no matches are being played?

The answer was to return to the most essential things: historical analysis, human stories, and questions no one dares to ask. I created the series "Top 10 Classic Liverpool Counterattacks 2026-20" — opening with a controversial thesis: "This Liverpool team deserves comparison to Arsenal's Invincibles 2026-04." No algorithm can generate that thesis. Only experience and deep sports understanding can.

That's why I say: algorithms cannot replace experienced analysts. But experienced analysts need to be nourished by quality data systems. And quality data systems can only be built by humans — those with processes, with responsibility, and with a culture of respecting information.

Urgent action for Vietnam's esports industry

First, Vietnamese esports media platforms need to build standardized information verification processes. No exceptions, no "some news is more credible than others" — everything must go through the filter.

Second, the fan community needs to be educated on distinguishing official information from rumors. A comment section full of unreliable information is the breeding ground for "garbage input" into AI systems.

Third, tech companies need to acknowledge that "advanced algorithms" cannot compensate for "poor input data." Investment in data quality must match investment in processing technology.

And fourth, those of us who do this job — writers, analysts — need to remember that technology is a tool, not a god. When facing empty information, the right choice is to stop and admit it, not fabricate to fill the gaps.

Conclusion: Dead moments can become golden moments

The report about the Stage-2 model failing due to empty input is not bad news. It's the wake-up call that the esports industry needs to hear.

Every failure is a lesson. Every dead point can become a golden point — if we dare to look directly at it.

Vietnam's esports industry is at a crucial stage. We can continue chasing global trends, stuffing algorithms into every corner. Or we can slow down a beat, building a solid foundation with real bricks: people, processes, and respect for information.

I have turned mistakes into engagement fuel throughout my 19-year career. That's how I survived the pandemic, the criticism, the wrong predictions.

Now it's your turn — those building the future of esports.

Turn this dead point into gold.

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BÙI SƠN | Sports Influencer | Guangzhou

Following 19 years of industry experience: from esports athlete in 2026 to fact-based provocative writer in the Chinese market.