Gaming and eSports are an integral part of young people's everyday culture. With the Equal eSports Initiative, Deutsche Telekom is committed to ensuring that everyone can participate - regardless of gender, origin, culture or social status.

Together with SK Gaming and the esports player foundation, Deutsche Telekom is creating a supportive environment for all gamers, emphasising long-term commitment over short-lived campaigns. Founded in September 2021, the initiative aims to promote diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunities in eSports and bridge gaps within the gaming community.

More than half of all Germans play computer and video games, including almost as many women as men. However, it is estimated that less than 5 percent of eSports professionals are female. With the Equal eSports Initiative, Deutsche Telekom wants to change this. The aim is to anchor diversity and inclusion as fixed values in eSports and the entire games industry. Women should be given the opportunity to pursue their passion on an equal footing - without discrimination or marginalization.

To this end, Deutsche Telekom is creating a safe space and an environment with a positive vibe in which all gamers – regardless of their gender, background, culture, or social status – are able to live their dream. Furthermore, the initiative addresses those who are not directly involved in the eSports and gaming culture in order to impart knowledge and promote social understanding.

With the Equal eSports Initiative, Deutsche Telekom is once again fulfilling its promise of participation. The initiative is not a short-term campaign, but part of Deutsche Telekom's long-term and sustainable commitment.

The initiative was founded in September 2021 together with SK Gaming and the esports player foundation. The aim is to promote diversity, inclusion and equal opportunities in eSports and gaming across the board - both on a broad scale and in the professional sector.

An important part of the initiative is the Equal eSports Festival: following its premiere in Berlin, it has already been held twice in Cologne and enjoys a growing community and popularity. A varied programme of events offers two days of panel talks, workshops and coaching sessions on the topics of eSports, equality and diversity.

The Equal eSports Cup is the first League of Legends tournament exclusively for women and non-binary talents since 2023. Around 300 participants from 15 countries took part in the first tournament, the final of which was held at the Equal eSports Festival.

While ten female and non-binary League of Legends players were supported in the first year of the initiative, the second and third years of the programme saw the support expand to include additional talents and the eSports title "Brawl Stars". A total of 22 talents (18 League of Legends and 4 Brawl Stars) were included in 2023, which shows the enormous potential of the programme. More games will be added to the portfolio soon. The aim is to build a strong and supportive community within the playing teams and along the surrounding audience. In this way, eSports acts as a link through which values such as tolerance and diversity are made visible.

The idea is not only to point out the issues that affect the eSports industry, but also to actively live a possible alternative scenario in which these issues are resolved. We take this scenario into reality by giving women and non-binary people a voice and the opportunity to prove their skills in the eSports competition. The main goal is to break down the industry's rigid gender barriers and to make it easier for women and non-binary people to play in mixed teams. The first talent, Sayna, has already achieved this goal and is playing in a mixed team in the Prime League (LoL).

Since its inception in 2021, the Equal eSports Initiative has continued to expand. While initially only League of Legends talents were promoted, the initiative has not only grown in the number of talents promoted, but also in scope: the games Brawlstars (2022) and Valorant (2024) were also included in the promotion. With many more innovative actions and events such as festivals, the Cup, bootcamps, school programs, the Equal eSports council and the expansion of the Games, the initiative will continue to grow throughout the year.

The Initiative has had a major impact on the perception of eSports since its launch in 2021. The Social media reach has increased from 5.6 million users in 2021 to more than 32.9 million in 2023. That’s an overall growth of 487 %. The number of visitors of the festival has grown as well. While the first edition of the Equal eSports Festival was attended by 1,000 people, the 2023 edition has already attracted over 6,000 visitors. A similar trend can be seen in the response to the school programme, which has also seen a steady increase in the number of participants.

The biggest challenge has been to make eSports accessible for a wider audience and to break down the stereotypes and clichés that still surround the sport. Although the fanbase and target audience keeps growing every year, eSports has still not arrived in the mainstream media yet. The Equal eSports Initiative is therefore working on bringing the innovative and entertaining character of this sport into spotlight, while recognising its weaknesses and actively seeking ways to address them. It does this by giving marginalised people a voice to talk about their experiences of exclusion and discrimination.

The Equal eSports Initiative keeps the discussion around inequality and discrimination in the eSports industry alive and makes sure that it doesn’t fade away. As part of this, annual festivals are held and a program has been launched specifically for students. This program alongside a broad media and communication strategy makes the relevance of these issues accessible for a wide spectrum of society. By giving marginalized people a platform to share their stories and experiences, the Equal eSports Initiative is not only turning the eSports world into a more open and tolerant place, but are also raising awareness of these issues in general.