
Munich eSports: An Organisation for gaming enthusiasts in Munich
City life . Student life“We simply want to address the theme of gaming and eSports in all its aspects. It now needs to be promoted socially and politically so that everyone knows that gaming is not as negative as most people think. The older generation believes that gamers are all sitting in the basement, playing alone, with no friends, etc. but that’s not the case.”
In June 2019, students from Munich had the idea of creating an eSports association in the city. Their goal? To find a place where they could share a common passion after their studies: video games. “We were all students and organized events at TUM but also at other universities. We realized that one day we would have to leave the university and we would need a place for that. And that’s why we thought we could create an association” says Phi, the president of the association, whom I had the opportunity to interview.
Another goal of the association is to allow young people to socialize: “If you want to play football, you go to a football club. I want eSports to be an example and a place where people can easily find like-minded individuals to play with and make friends or partners.”
The association has no fewer than eight game teams: Counter-Strike, League of Legends, Overwatch, Rocket League, Simracing, Super Smash Bros, Valorant, Rainbow Six Siege. Each team has a representative who is elected annually. Of course, other games are also supported by the association, and members are free to create their own teams.
Curious to know more, I delved into this universe which is unfamiliar to me. I attended three events in December: the Christmas party (6/12), the streaming of a Counter Strike final with breakfast (15/12), and the “Gamingabend” with a dinner prepared by the president Phi (21/12). This experience shows that even if you are new to this universe, you can be very well received, feel at ease, socialize, and have fun. And even as an exchange student, we are welcome. At each event, you leave with a small souvenir on your skin: you get the association’s logo (shaped like a controller) stamped on you, giving a real sense of belonging and cohesion with others.
The association is present on social networks, but its main platform is Discord. There you can find all the game departments, chat rooms, streams, information about upcoming events, etc. Regarding the events, among others, there are: the “Gamingabend” which takes place once every two weeks, where you can eat, play, chat, or do karaoke; the “Stammtisch” which follows the tradition of meeting at a bar once a month to have a drink and discuss everything and nothing; the “TCG Abend” where you can play card games (Pokémon, Magic, Yu-Gi-Oh…); tournaments; pug nights where spontaneous gaming groups are created; Christmas as well as summer parties.
The association is also present on Twitch where they stream and notably make donations. In December 2024, the teams streamed for twelve hours for children and animal charities.
Recently, a PC room has been opened, and members can reserve a spot to play their favorite games alone or with others. Among the association’s long-term goals are the organization of larger tournaments, particularly at the regional level, and possibly a LAN Party.
“We are like a very big family. I say this now because what I am trying to achieve here with eSports is simply to be on the same level as everyone else. This means that people can have fun together and implement their ideas, wishes, etc. And we are generally quite open to all kinds of things.”
The association now has over 200 members and is located in Bogenhausen in “die Gamerei”. Membership fees range from 3€ to 6€ per month, depending on discounts such as student status. It continues to grow and has a bright future ahead!
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