I’ve seen a lot of events cancelled this year. More than I can recall in all the years I’ve been slinging plastic. Where are all the players? Has Airsoft just run out of steam? Or is it a case of rising costs putting people off?

I was discussing with some players at a skirmish recently how different the afternoons are at a site that seems to start with 200+ players, yet finishes with less than half. Although that’s much less an issue than some skirmish sites having to cancel outright because they can’t get the numbers to even warrant opening – it’s single figures in many cases. Talking to several site owners and events organisers, I’m wondering whether it’s the players, or the sites.

It might be the players. Perhaps the increase in popularity of half-day sessions is indicative of lower fitness levels; certainly that has been noticeable since COVID-19, and are we seeing a more indoor-based generation?. Though personally if I’m going to travel anywhere then I at least want to get the full day out of it.

I doubt very much that there are financial reasons for not playing often because players now are carrying more expensive kit, spending more on upgrades and generally carrying more gear into game zones. The modern player seems to have a lot more disposable income than those in the past who donned old surplus shirts and carried a plastic spring rifle with one magazine in a pocket. Considering that, I have to ask if any of it is at all necessary or whether it’s as result of the imagery we all put out on social media combined with the bombardment of adverts for newer products (I’m not going to use the word “better”) that suggests to newer players that they need to spend an absolute fortune to compete. Does this all come at the expense of game days themselves? Are we content with just owning the gear but not actually getting out and playing with it? There’s an obsession with photography at the moment and I have heard a few players locally say that they only come for the morning session to get a few photos in for their media accounts – is Airsoft transitioning from combat to cosplay? Not saying there’s anything wrong with that, but it has long been a topic of debate as to whether Milsim and Speedsoft players should have separate events to cater for two vastly different playstyles for example.

If the players are still capable of slogging it in any weather for 24hrs, then does the problem lie with sites and the events they’re putting on?. I spoke at length with Defiant Events, who do big, fully immersive events here in the UK and they’re still drawing numbers in and have a full calendar planned. Stirling Airsoft are still going strong. But that’s the top tier of Airsoft experiences – vehicles, actors, and a good script. Elsewhere, some skirmish sites which are the place to be seen to meet big name players for your media panderings (Dirty Dog Airsoft, HQ Airsoft, No Man’s Land – although I’ve not been in a while) are drawing crowds but some of the really well run sites, which I’m not naming, are struggling despite putting on some absolutely cracking game days and you can understand the frustrations of the staff there. One event I’ve seen plastered everywhere this spring and summer was the UKAL Charity Game recently which drew a lot of sponsorship and offered a big raffle but didn’t attract the numbers expected. Some places are moving to fortnightly instead of weekly games in a bid to cut costs and boost numbers.

I could conclude here that most players just want to turn up to play celebrity, play with a celebrity, or get some cool pics for minimum effort, but the success of the big events suggests that there’s still a number of dedicated players out there looking for a good experience at any cost.

What I’d rather do is throw the question out to the masses, because answers can help shape future events. Shorter, easier, indoor games? Long patrols out in the snow? What’s your thing?

What do you look for in a good Airsoft event?

Stick it below. I’m interested and so too are the people who bring you the game days.