Astralis player Andreas "Xyp9x" Højsleth has partnered up with DEF-Sport to create a players' union for Danish esports athletes.

Esports, and especially CS:GO, have grown to exceptional heights during the last couple of years, attracting new people to join the market.

Today, Dust2.dk revealed that Astralis player Andreas "⁠Xyp9x⁠" Højsleth has created a players' union for Danish esports athletes called Esport Spillerforeningen through a cooperation with DEF-Sport, the union behind the Danish badminton, basketball and ice hockey players' associations.

Xyp9x is one of the brains behind the players' union.

The union aims to represent Danish players who plan to become professional one day. Having a contract is not a requirement to be part of the union, but players need to have the ambition of being contracted at some point in the future.

As a paying member of the union, players will have access to counseling and help regarding legal relationships, pension, savings, missing salary and prizes, taxes and education. The director of the union, Mads Øland, is also the director of the football players' association in Denmark. Over the years, he has had several clashes with Danish football clubs and the country's football association over matters like holiday allowance and extra payment for sponsor agreements.

Xyp9x gave the following statement to Dust2.dk:

We are professional athletes - not lawyers, accountants or agents. Expertise is necessary to ensure players' rights. And as a professional, you do not have the time to focus on these things while performing and playing. Therefore, it is important that you can get help with that of your player association, which 100% defends your interests.

It's exactly the same as in any other sport, here we are not different from them. So, therefore, I am very pleased that DEF sports have moved into esport and recognize it as a sport.

We are professional athletes - not lawyers, accountants or agents. Expertise is necessary to ensure players' rights. And as a professional, you do not have the time to focus on these things while performing and playing. Therefore, it is important that you can seek help within a players' union that 100% defends your interests as a player. It's exactly the same as in any other sport, we are not different from them. Therefore, I am very pleased that DEF-Sport have moved into esport and recognize it as a sport.

The move from DEF-Sport comes after the focus on esports in Denmark boomed following Astralis' victory at the ELEAGUE Major, in January. Earlier this year, an agency for Danish CS:GO players called Unique esport was created. It currently represents players like Allan "⁠AnJ⁠" Jensen, Danni "⁠smF⁠" Dyg and Peter "⁠Inzta⁠" Kragelund.