Should I play or should I go? Paidia and Ludus identity plays while entrepreneuring

This article explores how individuals use play to construct new identities while engaging in new entrepreneuring. This research is based on an ethno- graphic qualitative study conducted with 19 French video game commenta- tors through semi-structured biographic interviews, video observations, and documentary collections. It is founded on the intersection of the concepts of entrepreneurship as play, identity work, and identity play, as a way to better under- stand authenticity and legitimacy tensions while entrepreneuring. Our results show that individuals undertake a dynamic process of identity play where they oscillate between authentic play and legitimate play. Untangling the tensions between these two types of play represents a key activity in moving forward on their entrepreneurial journey and into more stable identity work. Finally, we discuss the implications of our study for play and identity construction, focusing on the tensions and conflicts that arise between authentic play and legitimate play, the temporal dynamics of play, and the exploration of play within a workplace context, highlighting its potential to foster creativity, adaptability, and identity.