Why are so many people struggling to keep up with Airsoft? Are we seeing a big change in the way it’s being organised and played?

Summer is here in the UK which brings that special breed out of the closet – the Fairsofter, or Fair Weather Airsofter. And as is typical of summer in this part of the world, it’s still raining. I saw a post this morning by a player who left midway through an event because they didn’t have a coat. In itself, that’s not a major issue. But as I scroll, I see many good events being cancelled due to low numbers. Is it simply the case that Airsoft players are becoming increasingly bedroom based and no longer have that appetite for or are suitably equipped for playing outdoors? Will we see a shift to short, 3hr indoor games and more cosplay and media work?

When I first got into Airsoft back in the ’90s, it was a very different experience and generally speaking, the game was all about “playing soldiers”, whether anyone did a particularly good job of that is a debate for another time. But the attraction was being outdoors in the elements and challenging yourself not only against the enemy team, but also against the environment. Waterproofs for example were a staple part of the loadout. Utility pouches carried food and water, not cameras and battery packs. I can’t remember actually the last time I saw anyone at my local site in any kind of waterproofs – and my local is well known for a wet and muddy experience. If it rains during the morning, you can guarantee half the players now will sack it off and go home during lunch, leading to the site now organising bigger games for the morning and then the afternoon is set up for low numbers and smaller games.

Regular readers will know how much I bang on about the joys of full weekend games, and that’s not to say it has to be a hardcore milsim, because anyone can get stuck in if they’re prepared for it. I remember the old Ai500 games which were just really long skirmishes with an overnight camping and social experience which were very accessible to all. At the other end of the scale, yes I do like a good Stirling milsim as well. If you’re travelling anywhere for a new experience, why not make a weekend out of it? And why not try and push yourself a bit harder physically?

Instead, I see very interesting looking weekend events attracting only 10-20 players and suffering as a result, or having to be cancelled because there just aren’t enough players to make it work. What changed? I see so many people on Instagram showing off their awesome loadouts, expensively assembled bb blowers, boasting of their skills and showing all these nicely filtered team photos, and yet when you challenge them to get on the field, they’re nowhere to be seen. It’s as if they’ll only turn up for a photo opportunity with a celebrity or the chance to scoop something in a raffle.

It might be that many are out of shape now, or too used to sitting in a gaming chair in front of a podcasting microphone. Maybe they need more time to edit videos. Perhaps they just don’t want to get their replica clothing dirty. The sport has seen a rapid increase in player numbers in the last ten years, fuelled by the multitude of media platforms, but it doesn’t seem to be attracting big game players. Is it a reflection of society, and how we’ve evolved from the great wartime generations into a world of sofa dwellers who live on Uber Eats and enjoy the easy lifestyle?. Does that then translate to the Airsoft field, where we enjoy dressing up but ultimately, an hour jogging around is a bit much and we’d prefer to go to the pub on the way home to soak up some Netflix, rather than finish the afternoon of Airsoft. Much less is there any drive to say “ok, we’ll go through the night and fight the next day too”.

If the short day is your thing, then it’s your thing. Everyone does it differently, my frustration at the moment is the lack of good events for the way I like things, and people turning up to those inadequately equipped or just giving up half way through. That giving up I’ve seen because of bad weather, not enjoying losing, reported cheating, or just finding it a bit tougher than a skirmish, although to be fair that should be expected in advance. I’ve got lots of articles on weekend gear to give you an idea of what’s required – it’d probably cost you less than a shiny new MOSFET for your gun to kit yourself out for a full weekend.

If we don’t support big events and good sites, then in the future there won’t be any and we’ll be stuck playing in indoor nerf arenas. If your attitude is “meh, I’m a paying customer, if I want to go home then I will”, it’s probably best to not bother booking on, because events where people leave early then become muddled and less entertaining for the ones who do stay to the end.

If you do run these big events, and struggle for numbers, get in touch and perhaps we can set something up to pool players together.