Nathanael Liminski, Minister for Media of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and Marius Loewe, President of e-sport.nrw (right; Picture: e-sport.nrw) Esports North Rhine-Westphalia is Funding 30 Apprenticeships for Esports Coaches North Rhine-Westphalia is continuing its support for esports in Germany’s most populous federal state. Thanks to new funding, 30 subsidised training places for esports coaches will be available in 2026. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Picture by EWC Esports Esports World Cup 2026 Kicks Off With Star-Studded Ceremony The 2026 Esports World Cup (EWC) kicked off in Paris last night with a grand opening ceremony featuring, amongst others, Aya Nakamura, DJ Snake, Theodora and Mosimann. Until 23 August, over 2,000 athletes from 200 clubs will compete against one another in 25 tournaments. By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read
Klemens Witt, Florian von Keller, Markus Möckel, Christian Hotz (from Left to Right) were elected as Vice Presidents (Picture: ESBD) People ESBD Members Elects New VPs And Create New Role For Regional Representatives At their general meeting, the members of the ESBD filled three vice-presidential posts with Klemens Witt, Christian Hotz and Markus Möckel. Florian von Keller was also appointed as a vice-president; he will be the first representative of the regional associations on the ESBD Executive Committee. By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read
Leon Ries and Jörg Adami (right) | Pictures: DOSB/picture alliance; UFA Boris Breuer People DOSB Appoints Jörg Adami as Managing Director of Its Esports Subsidiary Just a few weeks ago, the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) announced the launch of a not-for-profit esports subsidiary. The head of the new organisation has now been appointed: Jörg Adami, who previously set up the esports player foundation, will become managing director. By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read
Esports Leaders Honours 2026: Christopher Flato (ESBD), Maria Helmis-Arend (Mayor Cologne), Martin Blum (Leipzig eSports) and Klemens Witt (Leipzig eSports) © Invest in Film Esports Esports Leaders Honours Winners Announced; Leipzig eSports Receives the Local Hero Award The inaugural Esports Leaders Honours ceremony took place on 19 June 2026 as part of Global Esports Industry Week in Cologne. Leipzig eSports was awarded the Local Hero Award during the ceremony. By Marcel Kleffmann • 4 min read
Johanna Schmid (PwC); Prof. Dr. Mathias Bellinghausen (HAM), Julia Wilner (PwC), Christopher Flato (ESBD), Markus Möckel (ESBD), Lars Christian Dach (PwC) © ESBD Esports Second Esports Report on the German Esports Industry The E-Sport-Bund Deutschland (ESBD) has published its second report on the German esports industry. It focuses on the industry's self-image, structures and future as it undergoes transformation. The report was prepared in collaboration with the Hochschule für angewandtes Management and PwC Germany. By Marcel Kleffmann • 2 min read
Fachkräfteliga © KielRegion Gunnar Dethlefsen Business G+ Recruiting & Employer Branding: Gaming and Esports in HR To attract new skilled workers and make companies more appealing to applicants, HR departments are turning to gaming and esports, beyond mere gamification. This serves as an effective employer branding strategy, as demonstrated by the following projects and initiatives. By Marcel Kleffmann • 15 min read
Global Esports Industry Week 2026 (c) The Esports Radar, Esports Integrity Commission, ESL Faceit Group Business Global Esports Industry Week 2026 in Cologne Global Esports Industry Week 2026 will take place in Cologne this year, coinciding with IEM Cologne. Over 400 attendees and more than 75 speakers are expected. The Global Esports Industry Week debuted last year in Austin, Texas. By Marcel Kleffmann • 2 min read
R6 Central Combine (c) Ubisoft Esports Offline Finals of the R6 Central Combine at Ubisoft Düsseldorf Emerging Rainbow Six Siege esports talents from Europe and the MENA region have the opportunity to showcase their abilities in the upcoming EML Challenger Circuit 2026 series, where they can secure a spot in the offline finals on 25 July at Ubisoft Düsseldorf. By Marcel Kleffmann • 1 min read
People Riatti, Jahn, Hartung and Lueneborg Staff Esports Player Foundation Advisory Board The esports player foundation has revealed its new advisory board members: Hans Christian Lueneborg of Riot is chair, foundation co-founder Evangelos Papathanassiou vice-chair. Max Hartung, Karsten Jahn and Matteo Riatti join. By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read
Road to Esports Nations Cup 2026 © Esports Foundation Esports Road to Esports Nations Cup 2026 The road to the first Esports Nations Cup in 2026 is approaching several major milestones, including roster announcements, ranking cutoffs and online qualifiers. These provide multiple pathways to representation at the ENC. By Marcel Kleffmann • 2 min read
Team Germany © esports player foundation Esports National Roster for the Esports Nations Cup 2026 Team Germany has finalised its national roster for the Esports Nations Cup 2026. Over the coming weeks, Team Germany E-Sport's members will be introduced gradually, beginning with the Rainbow Six Siege X team. By Marcel Kleffmann • 1 min read
