THE EQUAL ESPORTS CUP HAS STARTED
On the the 29. of April 2023 we were able to set another important milestone for more equality and diversity in eSports. At the kickoff event, Telekom, Riot Games, SK Gaming and epf announced the launch of the Equal eSports Cup, a tournament series for women and non-binary players.
Successful kick-off event with top-class guests
Numerous personalities from the eSports and gaming community were guests at XPERION Berlin and part of the Equal eSports Cup kickoff event. The kickoff was moderated by Equal eSports Council member Theres "Sissor" Modl. The stream consisted of a total of 3 panel talks and a showmatch between SK Avarosa and BIG Chroma.
After a short introduction by Sissor, the first talk started. The panel included Antje Hundhausen - Vice President Brand Experience at Telekom, Clara Dietrich - Team Lead Marketing and Communication at epf, Marie Cordier - Marketing Manager at SK Gaming and Miki "Nugget" Maurer - Equal eSports Talent. The content of the panel was a review of Equal eSports' successes to date and how the initiative has developed.
After the 1st talk, it was time for eSports action! The SK Avarosa team faced off against BIG Chroma. The game was casted by Christian "Lythi" Körner and Anika "Ryxcales" Wolter. In an exciting match that could have been won by either team, BIG secured victory in the end. We are curious to see if SK Avarosa will get a chance for revenge at the Equal eSports Cup!
The last two panel talks dealt with the Equal eSports Cup.
Sermend "Outlandish" Al Hmawendi - Head Coach at BIG, Adrián Padín Suárez - Senior Competitive Experience Manager at Riot Games and Anika "Ryxcales" Wolter - Equal eSports Council member and caster at Summoner's Inn talked with Sissor about what the Equal eSports Cup is and what the goals of the tournament series are.
During the last point of the stream, Marie, Adrián and Christian Lenz - Sporting Director at epf - explained all the main points about the Equal eSports Cup.
"When I saw the players at the Equal eSports Festival, I fell in love with the initiative. It's basically the same as when I work with my main team. It's the same ambitions, emotions and expectations that the players have in their career and that's why it's so important that so many teams are part of the Equal eSports Cup. There has to be a basic structure and someone has to start."
- Sermend "Outlandish" Al Hmawendi
"Good players don't fall from the sky, they need to be encouraged, they need experience. You have to give these players the chance to develop. You can't expect them from the beginning to be able to communicate in teams and to use their skills from the solo queue competitively. Often there is no room given for failure and development. Thanks to the Equal eSports Cup, the players can prove themselves and show that the space to grow is there and how much growth has already happened.
- Anika "Ryxcales" Wolter
"With the Equal eSports Cup, we are now establishing the three most important pillars of the project: safespace, education and sustainability, in order to be able to build sustainable structures for the players. In the long term, eSports should develop in such a way that it no longer differentiates on the basis of colour and people, but rather that athletes are understood as high performers who need to be promoted and trained. With the Equal eSports Cup, we can be the breeding ground for tournaments like the Prime League in the long term, like a scouting ground. Our goal must be that female and non-binary players are not just substitutes for top teams.
- Adrián Padín Suárez
12 Invitational teams from LEC and Prime League.
A total of 14 established eSports organisations will participate in the Equal eSports Cup. These are SK Gaming, BIG, MOUZ, GamerLegion, Unicorns of Love, Eintracht Frankfurt, Eintracht Spandau, E WIE EINFACH E-SPORTS, G2, Team Vitality, KOI, NNO, Austrian Force willhaben and TeamOrangeGaming.
There are 12 teams seeded in each Closed Qualifier. These 12 teams consist of SK Gaming, BIG, MOUZ, GamerLegion, Eintracht Frankfurt, Eintracht Spandau, E WIE EINFACH E-SPORTS, G2, Team Vitality, KOI, Austrian Force willhaben and TeamOrangeGaming.
The Closed Qualifiers will take place on the following dates:
- Closed Qualifier #1 - 03 & 04.06.2023
- Closed Qualifier #2 - 01. & 02.07.2023
- Closed Qualifier #3 - 29. & 30.07.2023
- Closed Qualifier #4 - 02. & 03.09.2023
The Equal eSports Cup is for all women and non-binary players.
The remaining 4 slots at the Closed Qualifiers will be awarded at the Open Qualifiers. The Open Qualifiers always take place one day before the Closed Qualifiers. All teams consisting of women and non-binary players can register. You can find the registration here.
The teams will receive points depending on their performance. The 4 teams with the most points after the 4th qualifier will qualify for the grand final at the Equal eSports Festival!
Register now
You are a female or non-binary player and would like to take part in the Equal eSports Cup?
Then register your team for the Open Qualifiers.
You can find the registration and all important information here.