Felix Falk (Managing Director of game) and Christopher Flato (ESBD President) © game - the German Games Industry Association / Flato ESBD, Alina Ehmann Esports Esports Clubs to Be Treated as Non-Profit Organisations From the Beginning of 2026 in Germany Following initial issues with the first draft at the start of the week, the final government draft on the non-profit status of esports has been met with widespread approval from game - Verband der deutschen Games-Branche, the E-Sport-Bund Deutschland (ESBD) and the Landessportbund Nordrhein-Westfalen. From 1 January 2026, esports clubs By Marcel Kleffmann • 3 min read
Felix Falk (Managing Director of game) and Christopher Flato (ESBD President) © game - the German Games Industry Association / Flato ESBD Esports "The Draft Bill on Esports Non-Profit Status Creates More Problems Than It Solves." The draft bill on the 2025 Tax Amendment Act, prepared by the German Federal Ministry of Finance, contains an approach to the non-profit status of esports in Germany for the first time. However, according to game - the German Games Industry Association, the E-Sport-Bund Deutschland e.V. (ESBD) and the By Marcel Kleffmann • 2 min read
Team Razer and RBLZ Gaming © Razer, RBLZ Gaming Esports Razer Signs Partnership Between Team Razer and RBLZ Gaming Razer has announced the signing of RBLZ Gaming to Team Razer. This is Razer's first console-focused esports partnership in the EMEA region. Since its inception in 2020, RBLZ Gaming has achieved several milestones, including multiple appearances on the global stage at EA FC esports competitions. Over the last By Marcel Kleffmann • 2 min read
© EVO / SIE Esports Saudi-Arabia Buys Esports Major EVO Saudi-Arabia's state fund subsidiary Qiddiya has bought RTS, the company behind the largest esports tournament Evolution Championship Series (EVO). Sony has also sold its stake in EVO to Nodwin Gaming, but stays on board in a more indirect manner. Qiddiya, a subsidiary of the Saudi-Arabian state fund PIF, By Pascal Wagner • 2 min read
New Global Sport Conference 2025 © Esports World Cup / New Global Sport Conference Esports New Global Sport Conference 2025 Concludes Esports World Cup Following the Esports World Cup, the New Global Sport Conference 2025 took place in Riyadh. The event was attended by more than 1,500 delegates, including 500 CEOs from sectors such as gaming, esports, sports, technology and investment. The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) concluded the New Global Sport Conference By Marcel Kleffmann • 2 min read
HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister at the crowning ceremony of the Esports World Cup 2025 with (from right to left) Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation; HRH Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki Al Faisal, Minister of Sport; Musaad Al Dossary, Co-Founder and Chairman at Team Falcons; Muhammed Almatairi, General Director at Team Falcons; Nikola Kovač, Counter-Strike 2 player at Team Falcons. © Esports World Cup 2025 Esports Esports World Cup 2025 Set New Viewership Records in Its Second Year The Esports World Cup 2025 came to a close on Sunday. After seven weeks of competition, Team Falcons were crowned club champions of the tournament. The EWC attracted a total of 750 million viewers, 350 million hours of online streaming, and 3 million visitors on site in Riyadh. The Esports By Marcel Kleffmann • 3 min read
© Deutsche Bahn / esports player foundation Esports Deutsche Bahn Focuses on Gaming and Esports to Find Young Talent In its search for young professionals, Deutsche Bahn (DB) is turning to gaming and esports to attract young talent. The company aims to recruit around 20,000 new employees in operational roles this year, including over 5,000 young professionals. The DB Esports Scholarship is the centrepiece of the company& By Marcel Kleffmann • 1 min read
Esports Decade Awards © Esports Awards Esports Esports Decade Awards Presented in Riyadh The Esports Awards held a one-off Decade Awards ceremony alongside the Esports World Cup. These celebrated a decade of excellence in esports and gaming. The Decade Awards ceremony, held alongside the Esports World Cup, saw 9.8 million votes cast by fans in celebration of esports, its players, teams and By Marcel Kleffmann • 2 min read
© EWCF Esports EWCF Unveils New Esports Competitions for National Teams The Esports Nations Cup of the Esports World Cup Foundation will kick off in November 2026 in Riyadh and will then take place every two years at different locations. Confirmed partners include Electronic Arts, Krafton, Tencent, and Ubisoft. The announcement was made during the New Global Sport Conference in Riyadh: By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read
Red Bull For The Win 2025 © Matthias Heschl / Red Bull Content Pool Esports Amateur Defeats Professional Esports Player at Red Bull For The Win 2025 On Saturday in Vienna, the final of Red Bull For The Win took place. This is an esports tournament format in which amateur players take on professionals, and victory went to an amateur player. Second place goes to a German amateur. In front of a sold-out crowd at Vienna' By Marcel Kleffmann • 1 min read
T-Pain (American rapper, R&B singer and music producer) and Clinton Sparks (Founder and CEO of the Global Gaming League) © Global Gaming League Esports Global Gaming League Secures Licensing Agreements with Major Publishers The Global Gaming League considers itself to be a celebrity-driven gaming entertainment league, and its first season will begin in August. The first partnerships with publishers have now been finalised. The Global Gaming League (GGL) has announced partnerships with various publishers. The GGL is a league comprising celebrity-owned teams that By Marcel Kleffmann • 1 min read
Team Spirit won IEM Cologne 2025 © Michal Konkol Esports Intel Extreme Masters Returns to Cologne as a Major in 2026, Team Spirit Won IEM Cologne 2025 Following Team Spirit's victory in the IEM Cologne 2025 final, the ESL Faceit Group announced that the Intel Extreme Masters 2026 will return to Cologne as a Major. With the conclusion of the Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Cologne 2025 tournament on Sunday, won by Team Spirit, the stage By Marcel Kleffmann • 2 min read
