COMMUNICATION MODELS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF DIGITAL TEAMS ON THE EXAMPLE OF E-SPORTS

This article explores communication models within digital teams, using the professional eSports environment – specifically the game League of Legends – as a case study. The relevance of this research lies in the increasing virtualization of collaborative work and the growing significance of effective communication management in achieving strategic objectives. The study examines the applicability of classical and contemporary communication models – such as Shannon-Weaver, Schramm, transactional, and spiral models – within highdynamic digital contexts where communication unfolds in multichannel, rapidly evolving environments. Using a combination of case study methodology, qualitative content analysis, and structural-functional analysis, the article identifies and reconstructs key communication patterns within digital teams. These include shot-calling, strategic silence, reactive cycles, and layered hierarchies of information exchange. A visualized communication model is presented, mapping the flow of information among team roles (e.g., Shotcaller, Jungler, Support) and identifying critical points of cognitive overload, decision-making bottlenecks, and zones of high information density. The article highlights how communication in digital teams extends beyond immediate gameplay to include organizational and psychological dimensions, supported by a hybrid infrastructure of voice channels, in-game signals, messaging apps, and asynchronous platforms. It emphasizes the manager’s role not only as a message initiator but as an architect of the information environment, capable of regulating flow, rhythm, and distribution of messages based on real-time context and team roles. The findings support the thesis that hybrid communication models, adapted to team dynamics and situational phases, are more effective than standardized frameworks. Practical recommendations include formalizing internal communication protocols, minimizing noise through prioritization of signals, and designing adaptive infrastructures that support synchronous and asynchronous exchanges. Although grounded in eSports, the results have broader implications for communication management in distributed teams, IT projects, remote collaboration, e-learning, and innovation-driven ecosystems.