Too bad it’s raining. On the second day of the Equal Esports Festival in Cologne, there are clearly fewer interested people at the three stages than on the first day. Under the large tent roofs, the people present have to move a bit closer together to follow the panel discussions, workshops and show matches.

This is the second time the festival, organized by the Equal Esports Initiative and Deutsche Telekom, is taking place – but the first time in this open format and as part of the Digital X conference. Three stages have been set up directly on the Hohenzollernring, focusing on different areas of gaming.

Bringing e-sports to the center of society

The location was a conscious decision, says Antje Hundhausen, Vice President Brand Experience at Telekom. “Promoting women also means encouraging women to go out in public more and to take this topic more into society,” she says in an interview with Deutsche Presse-Agentur. “It’s becoming the talk of the town a bit.”

“We have many goals we want to work on – including bringing the topic more into the middle of society,” Jörg Adami, co-founder of the Esports Player Foundation, tells dpa. “In addition to the very clearly stated goal of creating more diversity at the top level, we are also concerned with social and societal acceptance. That it’s quite important to get out of the basements and halls.”

Equal Esports Festival: Concept works

The concept works well, at least on the first day: Again and again, people stop. They see what’s happening, ask questions and get information. Others are there for individual stars of the scene, with whom they have their picture taken.

The panel discussions, for example on the topic of hate on the net or digital art, and also the workshops, for example on starting a career in e-sports, are well filled. On Wednesday, the second day, the weather throws a spanner in the works – although free rain ponchos are distributed.

Showmatch with Eintracht Spandau, among others

The central highlight will be show matches from well-known German or German-based e-sports organizations: BIG, Eintracht Spandau, SK Gaming and Rogue. They have all put together various teams for the League of Legends showmatches, most of which are female or nonbinary. The four teams play out a small tournament over the two days – with trophies to be won at the end.

A number of leaders from the organizations have also arrived for the event, including Anna Baumann of Rogue. “What the Foundation has created here in terms of forum and representation, exchange, career development – it’s just insanely important,” she says.

Diversity in e-sports in transition

There’s a lot going on right now with the topic, Baumann says. “I think we’re in a transition phase right now that’s accelerating exponentially when it comes to developing female talent.” She expects to see a woman player on the stage of the European League of Legends LEC in five years at the latest.

Adami takes a similar view. “This initiative wants to move a lot in e-sports and shape e-sports a bit.” He compares the initiative to a snowball that is slowly getting bigger. “It’s certainly still in the upper third of the mountain.”