08 esports player foundation Esports has become a cultural phenomenon around the world, and Germany is no exception. The number of people who play esports as a hobby has been rising in Germany for many years; today, there are esports clubs and university groups throughout the country. Additionally, the ranks of professional esports players are swelling – these players play games competitively, full-time, at the highest levels. The esports player foundation supports ambitious esports players on their way to the top. What does it take to shape a raw talent into the type of strong character that can succeed at the top of the game? Esports requires quick reflexes, strategic thinking and precision, but other issues can also play an important role in players’ development, such as values education, structure and career prospects. Consequently, players require targeted support in order to develop true excellence that goes beyond the pure skill of playing video games. And that’s exactly where the esports player foundation (epf) comes in. Since 2020, the epf has been the world’s first talent promotion agency of its kind to support ambitious esports players on their path to the top. The epf provides a solid foundation for players within the dynamic esports environment. It also serves as a partner to players, assisting them with their performance, education, mental resilience, and career prospects. The epf’s comprehensive talent promotion programme includes in-game coaching as well as sports psychology, exercise and nutrition counselling, hardware support and careers advice. The organisation works one-to-one with more than 150 talented esports players in League of Legends, Valorant, Counter-Strike 2, EA FC and Brawl Stars. The epf’s work focuses on fostering talent with an eye to the long term. To that end, the organisation maintains strong cooperative ties with partners in the games industry and other sectors. epf’s partnership with XPERION, Germany’s largest gaming location, has been in place since 2023 – as part of this partnership, epf is able to provide young talents with their first practical experience playing in a team. The NXT teams that came together as a result at XPERION are now a permanent fixture of the epf’s support structure – such as the DKB XPERION NXT League of Legends team, which formed in 2024 and competes in the 2nd division of the Techniker Prime League. This team is living proof that the epf’s young talents can keep pace with established esports players. Programmes like these create structured paths to the top of the sport. Additionally, in partnership with Deutsche Kreditbank (DKB), the epf presented its first Young Player Award in 2024 – it went to 13-year-old EA FC talent Robert Brysik. The objective of the award is to motivate talented young players to believe in themselves and to be passionate in their pursuit of a career in esports. The epf also makes an important contribution to diversity in esports and the entire games community. For example, the Equal Esports initiative, which the epf established in 2021 in cooperation with Deutsche Telekom and SK Gaming, continued to grow in 2024: with new talent, new mentors, the Equal Esports Cup – a League of Legends tournament for women and non-binary people – and a thrilling finale at gamescom, which was the highlight of the programme. The goal is to foster diversity in the games community and work towards a more inclusive culture in esports. Mental health is another focus. In close cooperation with Techniker Krankenkasse (TK), the epf provides players with counselling sessions with sports psychologists; these sessions are an integral aspect of the support players receive. The epf’s outreach work and awareness campaigns in cooperation with TK and other partners such as Deutsche Telekom underscore the importance of resilience, prevention and a mindful approach to mental-health challenges – to ensure that players have a healthy career in esports and beyond. Additionally, long-term career prospects are a vital aspect of the programme. In collaboration with Deutsche Bahn, the epf developed a dual-career model for esports in 2024. Young players can complete a traineeship or an integrated vocational programme while pursuing an esports career at the same time. As part of this model, they also receive targeted coaching, attend boot camps and have the chance to achieve their full potential – in their careers and in the games they play. The epf is supported by strong partners, including Deutsche Telekom, Techniker Krankenkasse, DKB and Deutsche Bahn, as well as the state governments of North Rhine-Westphalia and Berlin. They all share the same vision: making Germany a professional, responsible and sustainable location for esports. Together, they are providing talented young people with a platform and a solid stepping stone into a bright future. Interview Julius Althoff on the Esports Team Berlin and Olympic Esports Games In esports, there have been two announcements in recent months that have caught people’s attention:: the state of Berlin will be fielding its own esports team, and Saudi Arabia will be hosting the first Olympic Esports Games in 2027. Julius Althoff, Managing Director of the esports player foundation explains what these announcements mean and how the esports world is responding to them. F: Why did you team up with the state of Berlin to form the Esports Team Berlin? If someone demonstrates talent in a conventional sport at a young age, there are professional support structures in place to help them advance. These support structures do more than just help young people improve at their sport; they also provide educational and social assistance. These sorts of structures are still lacking in esports, but the Esports Team Berlin is a first step towards closing this gap. We are creating a structured, values-oriented development programme at the state level that offers personal and professional support for talented young players. The programme is specifically targeted at very young players; it provides them with access to a support environment that is the only one of its kind in the world. It includes world-class coaches, sports psychologists, nutritionists and mentors. The goal is to help children and young people from Berlin grow into international esports stars – role models who can represent Berlin’s values and diversity on the global stage. Berlin is setting an important example with this project – not only does the state respect young people’s enthusiasm for esports; it will also work hand-in-hand with them to shape their futures. Where other states are still hesitating, Berlin is stepping up and taking responsibility. F: How was the announcement of the first Olympic Esports Games received by the esports community in Germany? The esports community in Germany is divided about the announcement of the Olympic Esports Games. But regardless of the valid criticism, I primarily see this event as an enormous opportunity for esports. For the first time, esports is being given a platform as part of the Olympic movement – there’s huge potential in that. One particularly exciting aspect is the role the national teams will play. They haven’t been particularly relevant in esports up to this point, but now, they could become a real rallying point; people can identify with them. Of course, there is valid criticism that needs to be taken seriously – that holds true for the event’s selection of games as well as for the decision to hold the event in Saudi Arabia. The latter, in particular, is going to require clear, critical discourse – but also the willingness to play an active role in shaping that discourse. F: What can people expect from this tournament? Will it be as important to esports as the Olympic Games are to conventional sports? The Olympic Games are the biggest sporting event in the world, and the Olympic Esports Games have the potential to be similarly important: the event will be a global celebration of esports that connects players from around the world and provides them with the platform and the recognition they deserve. And esports demands high performance, with the same standards of discipline, precision, mental resilience, physical fitness, good nutrition and recovery time as conventional sports. I hope that, over the long term, the Olympic Esports Games will come to have the same reach and relevance as the Olympic Games have in traditional sports. But there’s still a long way to go before that point – and a lot will depend on whether the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is open to the interests and culture of esports and the games industry. F: What role does diversity and inclusion play in the Olympic Esports Games? The Olympic Charter mandates gender equality – complete gender parity was achieved for the first time at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games. This goal should also apply to the Olympic Esports Games. And in esports, in particular, there is enormous potential for gender equality: physical requirements are hardly a factor. Currently, there are still differences in performance at the top, although most of these are the result of structural issues. We are working on breaking down these barriers with programmes such as our Equal Esports initiative. Also, many people in the esports community identify as gender non-binary. In order to be fully inclusive, the Olympic Esports Games will need to recognise this diversity, raise its visibility and actively foster it. Julius AlthoffManaging Director of esports player foundation
