08 esports player foundation

Esports have come a long way in Germany. A pursuit that began with private LAN parties and events in the 1990s has grown into a mass phenomenon.

The number of people who play esports as a hobby has been rising in Germany for many years now. Today there are numerous esports clubs, departments, university groups and organisations throughout the country where esports enthusiasts can enjoy their pastime. And the community of esports professionals in Germany – the elite players who are paid to compete at the highest level – is growing as well.

To ensure that established as well as up-and-coming esports professionals enjoy the best possible support, the esports player foundation (epf) was launched in Cologne in January 2020. The epf is the world’s first initiative of its kind, with the mission of providing current and future top players with a comprehensive support programme like those offered in conventional sports – something that is completely new in the esports field.

Recognising that success in competitive gaming requires years of balanced professional training, the epf seeks to close this support gap. It works with players from the junior right up to the semi-professional and professional levels. It not only promotes their gaming skills, but also assumes responsibility for the time after their esports career, or for the possibility that they don’t reach the professional echelon. Ensuring a healthy balance between their competitive careers and school, job training, professional development and work is therefore a top priority.

The epf is already assuming a leading role globally in many areas. Its offerings range from intensive support in the area of sports psychology to a fitness programme, nutrition consulting and sports medicine exams, to assistance with contractual matters and targeted career guidance. And in each case, these services are tailored to the respective player’s individual situation and provided by a non-profit organisation. In the context of esports, the programme has yet to be matched anywhere in the world. It additionally teaches the values of good sportsmanship, and participants are empowered to serve as positive role models for millions of ambitious players.

The epf’s talent development programme has gained the support of numerous companies which, through their sponsorship, are contributing to the growth of the esports ecosystem in Germany. These include Deutsche Telekom AG, CosmosDirekt, DKB, Techniker Krankenkasse, Deutsche Bahn and Xantaro. Further companies, such as Cherry XTRFY, TERRA, AOC and Arcus Kliniken, help directly with their products and services.

The esports player foundation currently works with over 200 players of the titles ‘Counter-Strike 2’, ‘League of Legends’, ‘Brawl Stars’, ‘Valorant’ and ‘EA SPORTS FC’. In the future, the foundation hopes to be able to provide comprehensive support to every talented player in every relevant esports game.

To lay the cornerstone for this, the epf and Deutsche Kreditbank (DKB) jointly established the DKB Diamonds, a ‘League of Legends’ free-agent team, at the beginning of 2022. In early 2024, the team merged with the talent incubator XPERION NXT and is now operating under the name DKB XPERION NXT. It is intended to enable young talent to gain match practice and attract attention through competition in the Prime League (analogous to German football’s Bundesliga), in which it is now playing in the second division. The DKB Diamonds’ early success led to the creation of an Academy Team at the start of 2023, consisting of very young players who will likewise seek to prove themselves in the Prime League.

At the end of 2022, North Rhine-Westphalia, in cooperation with the epf, also decided to expand its involvement in esports and provide targeted support to talent from the state. The Esports Academy NRW was then founded and 30 esports players from NRW were admitted to its promotional programme in the titles ‘EA SPORTS FC’, ‘League of Legends’ and ‘Brawl Stars’.

In addition to promoting players, the epf is also committed to other topics in esports. In 2021, it launched the Equal eSports initiative together with Deutsche Telekom and SK Gaming to advance diversity and equal opportunity in esports. Equal eSports encompasses not only the promotion of talent, but also the Equal eSports Council, which is made up of female experts and executives and acts as a kind of supervisory board for the initiative. The initiative further includes the Equal eSports Festival and, since 2023, the Equal eSports Cup, a ‘League of Legends’ tournament for women and non-binary people.

The epf also publicly takes on the issue of hate speech and toxicity on the internet on a regular basis. In its campaign Speak Up Esports, the epf and esports protagonists weigh in against this problem in the digital sphere. Another campaign in this context is the Fairplay Guide for “EA SPORTS FC”, which was created in collaboration with Deutsche Telekom. Jointly designed by Germany’s most prominent players of ‘EA SPORTS FC’ and its creators and community, the guide advises players on game-related behaviour for this esports title. These activities are complemented by mental-health campaigns conducted in cooperation with the insurance provider Techniker Krankenkasse, epf’s official partner in the field of health.

A further milestone for ‘EA SPORTS FC’ is the CosmosDirekt eFootball Arena, launched in cooperation with the epf at XPERION in Cologne. Here, young players are given professional coaching and the opportunity to exchange ideas with like-minded people.

In order to offer young talent sustainable future prospects alongside a career in esports, the epf advocates for a dual career path. In 2023, in collaboration with the epf, Deutsche Bahn enabled an initial group of 20 promising esports players to pursue a professional career in esports alongside an apprenticeship with the company. The selected candidates were assisted with a grant from the epf. The campaign was such a success that it is being continued in 2024. Xantaro, another partner in the initiative, is also committed to supporting a ‘second career’ for retired professional esports players. It offers five talented individuals from the epf not only financial support and game-specific services through an individual grant, but also the opportunity to take on internships and jobs, or even to start their post-esports careers at Xantaro.