BackgroundThe performance of individuals in esports environments is contingent upon the execution of high-level cognitive processes, including the capacity for rapid information processing, strategic decision-making, and the generation of creative solutions in uncertain conditions. The present study examined the mediating role of cognitive flexibility in the effect of esports players’ information processing skills on creative problem-solving.MethodsThis study employed a descriptive and relational design to investigate the relationships between computational thinking (CT), creative problem-solving (CPS), and the mediating role of cognitive flexibility (CF) among esports players. Research data were collected via Google Forms from 438 esports players selected through purposive sampling at the Digital Youth Center in Balıkesir. The research measures comprised the Computational Thinking Scale, the Cognitive Flexibility Scale, and the Creative Problem-Solving Scale. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 27.0, where normality was confirmed through Skewness and Kurtosis values within the ±1.5 range. The mediation model was tested using Hayes’ PROCESS macro (Model 4) with a bootstrapping method (5,000 resamples at a 95% confidence interval), evaluating the indirect effects of CT on CPS through CF.ResultsThe present study demonstrated a positive and significant relationship between information computational thinking (CT) and both cognitive flexibility (CF) (r = 0.628, p