G2 Esports, Red Bull launch Performance Lab to study players

G2 Esports has launched the G2 Performance Lab with backing from long-term sponsor Red Bull. The internal research unit will embed scientist-practitioners within competitive rosters to measure psychological, motor and physiological factors and use the data to inform coaching and player support.

The lab is led by performance coach Ismael Pedraza-Ramirez, who has been appointed G2 Performance Lab director. Operations will focus on four pillars: coaching and coach development, training design and delivery, player development, and performance health and support systems. Staff will create development plans for players based on continuous monitoring and scientific assessment.

Initial research will examine the relationship between competitive workloads and player wellbeing, with projects scheduled for 2026. The first project, titled “A Space for Leaders,” will concentrate on leadership development among G2 staff using collaborative learning and applied research inside the organisation.

Academic contributors named so far include the German Sport University Cologne and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. G2 intends to publish its academic findings and share methods so other organisations and coaches can access the work.

G2 CEO Alban Dechelotte noted Red Bull “played a central role” in shaping the lab’s vision, citing the brand’s record of investing in athlete performance. Ismael Pedraza-Ramirez added that the lab aims to design tools and infrastructure to improve how elite competitors are developed and to share the results with the wider esports scene.

The Performance Lab builds on G2’s existing technical partnerships, including ongoing collaboration with Logitech G on high-performance gaming hardware, and seeks to combine scientific methods with day-to-day competitive operations.