The support measures include game-specific coaching, advice on sports medicine and sports psychology, hardware equipment, nutritional advice and dual career planning.

Media Minister Nathanael Liminski: "North Rhine-Westphalia has developed into a strong home for the computer and video games industry. We are counting on a great future for Esports on the Rhine and Ruhr and are expanding support for this. Like classic sports, Esports also unites values such as community and fairness and makes inclusion and integration even easier. With the Esports Academy NRW, we help dedicated Esports players on their way to the national top. This also involves personal development and career prospects for athletes."

In the first year of the long-term Esports Academy NRW, 30 ambitious Esport athletes will be supported in the games "League of Legends", "FIFA" and "Brawl Stars" for at least twelve months. Talented players from North Rhine-Westphalia can apply now at esports-academy-nrw.de. The application phase ends on December 12, 2022.

Jörg Adami, Co-Founder of the esports player foundation adds: "The Esports Academy NRW enables talented individuals to train in a highly professional environment in order to get used to routines of professional athletes. Thus, the state government sets an ideal anchor for the entry for future professionals and combines for the first time the Grassroots and professional Esports."

The esports player foundation is the world's first not-for-profit funding institution dedicated to the holistic development of talent in Esports. Since its founding in January 2020, it has helped numerous talents on their way to the top of the world by planning dual careers, professionalizing training, and teaching a responsible lifestyle.