CEO Ralf Reichert speaks about the development of esports — Rolling Stone

In Paris, France, the seven-week Esports World Cup — an international video game tournament in which more than 2,000 participants competed in 24 disciplines for a $75 million prize pool — has concluded. Esports Foundation CEO Ralf Reichert, who was previously a professional player, spoke about esports’ path from local competitions to major international events, Rolling Stone reports.

The third annual summer tournament was initially planned to be held in Riyadh, as were the previous two. However, due to geopolitical circumstances, the event was moved to Paris just over eight weeks beforehand. The competitions took place at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, which was reconfigured each week for new tournaments and activities.

From Quake to ESL

Reichert grew up in Oberhausen, Germany, and competed in video games from childhood alongside his brothers Benjamin and Tim. In 1996, they became interested in Quake, one of the first three-dimensional shooters created for multiplayer competition. The brothers became co-founders of SK Gaming, which later became one of the strongest teams in Germany, Europe and the world.

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In 2000, Reichert was invited to help create the Electronic Sports League, or ESL. According to him, early esports lacked developed infrastructure, monetization, institutions and public recognition. ESL focused on turning esports competitions into a spectator discipline, rather than one only for participants.

Tournament format and broadcasts

Reichert noted that promoting esports through television in the early 2000s was too expensive. The situation changed around 2011 with the development of Twitch and YouTube, which made it possible to attract a broader online audience. By 2004, ESL had shifted its focus from leagues to tournaments, as Reichert believed this format was more flexible for a rapidly developing industry.

In 2022, ESL was sold to Savvy Gaming Group for more than $1 billion. Reichert then headed the Esports Foundation. According to Rolling Stone, 175,000 tickets were sold for competitions at the Paris Esports World Cup, while the Counter-Strike event at Accor Arena on the final day of the seven-week tournament drew 20,000 people. Team Spirit defeated FUT Esports.