IESF teaming up with the Esports World Federation to unify international esports
10 January 2022
Just before the end of the, for many reasons, tumultuous year 2021 for international esports, a promising partnership was signed between the IESF (International Esports Federation) and the ESWF (Esports World Federation). In the form of a so-called Memorandum of Understanding, which can be explained as a non-binding agreement stating the intentions of each party involved to take certain actions like aligning long-term goals and setting investment targets, the organizations are pledging to closely collaborate on developing and unifying international esports around the world in the coming years.
Shaping the future of international esports
“An important moment in the development and unification of our beloved and constantly growing and evolving industry”, is what Arniel Gutierrez, President and Founder of the Esports World Federation, calls the partnership with IESF. “Inclusion, recognition, collaboration, and unification are our main targets and highest priorities”, he continues, “The recent agreement [with the IESF] brings together all of those objectives in one goal. This is a clear sign that we can work towards making things happen and achieve great things together”.
His counterpart at the International Esports Federation, Vlad Marinescu, has expressed himself with similar enthusiasm. “We are thrilled to join forces with ESWF to achieve our common goals. IESF will work with ESWF to provide the best resources to support international esports players and organizations, and to continue to promote responsible gaming for the world esports family”. The IESF President also emphasized the importance of unification, as “the IESF is bringing together all international esports stakeholders to achieve a united ecosystem for the proper development of gaming worldwide. Together, we will help shape the future of international esports”.
About the IESF and the EWSF
In the world of international esports, the International Esports Federation is the main governing body. It was founded in the year 2008 and has grown to represent more than one hundred member federations from across the globe since then. Its focus is to build a sustainable and responsible gaming world with the help of all international esports stakeholders. A few of its major steps towards achieving that goal is the annual organization of the IESF Esports World Championship, the biggest multi-discipline international esports event in the world, and the Global Esports Executive Summit, where the standards of international esports governance worldwide are the topic of choice.
The Esports World Federation was founded in the year 2018 as an initiative to develop, promote, and support international esports and its athletes around the world. The ESWF serves as a kind of umbrella organization of international esports federations, including the World Digital Combat Sports Federation and the Americas Esports Federation Organization. As part of the new collaboration with the IESF, the ESWF will be heading the IESF's brand-new Esports For All commission, which is aimed at promoting a more inclusive international esports community.