The BIU, one of Germany’s most important interest groups for digital entertainment, today announced its esports initiative, close-partnered with representatives from ActivisionBlizzard, EA, Microsoft, ESL, and more. Together with its members, the BIU aims to establish esports in Germany, fight for its official recognition, and make vias processes easier.

[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“Esports is the future. No other sport in the world is growing so fast. Its relevance has continuously risen in the past years, not only for players and viewers, but for the overall games industry,” explained Maximilian Schenk, CEO at Branchenverband Interaktive Unterhaltungsindustrie (BIU).[/perfectpullquote]

The new body called eSports.BIU represents 13 members, including Crytek, Yager, ActivisionBlizzard, Bandai Namco, Electronic Arts, Gameforge, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony, Ubisoft and Wargaming. Additionally, esports-focused organisations like ESL and Freaks 4U Gaming are involved. A six-member board is leading the activities: Maxi Gräff (Microsoft), Michael Haenisch (Freaks 4U Gaming), Thomas Jaskiewicz (Ubisoft), Arne Peters (ESL), Tom Putzki (Wargaming) and Martin Lorber (Electronic Arts).

[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“With eSports.BIU, we offer this fast growing ecosystem about games, competitions, and broadcasts a central platform to discuss and make decisions,” Schenk said.[/perfectpullquote]

The members of the BIU represent 85 per cent of the German video games market. BIU is a joint organizer of the annual video games trade fair gamescom, and partner of the German video games award.