EQUAL ESPORTS CUP

What is the Equal Esports Cup?

The Equal Esports Cup (EEC) is the largest League of Legends tournament for women and non-binary players in Europe. Its goal is to provide talented players with a platform to showcase their skills, gain visibility, and take the next step in their professional esports careers.

The Equal Esports Cup was held for the first time in 2023, featuring more than 24 teams from across Europe — including nearly all teams from the 1st Division of the Prime League. Even five LEC organizations participated, underlining the growing importance and recognition of the competition within the professional scene.

Any team with women and non-binary players could register for the Open Qualifiers. The top four teams from each Open Qualifier advanced to the Closed Qualifiers, where they competed against 12 seeded teams to collect ranking points. After all qualifiers, the four highest-scoring teams earned their place in the grand final, held live at the Equal Esports Festival in Cologne.

Impact of the Equal Esports Cup

The Equal Esports Cup has made a lasting impact by increasing the participation of women and non-binary people in esports. The inspiring stories and achievements that emerged throughout the tournament helped to break down stereotypes and promote a broader understanding of diversity and inclusion within the esports community.

Through the Equal Esports Cup, organizations from the Prime League and LEC have become more aware of the importance of representation and equal opportunity in competitive gaming. This growing awareness marks an important step toward cultural change within professional esports — one whose effects will continue to unfold in the years to come.

Beyond competition, the Cup also fostered a strong and supportive community where players could connect, exchange ideas, and empower each other.

Background

The Equal Esports Cup (EEC) was launched as part of the Equal Esports Initiative by Telekom, SK Gaming, and the esports player foundation.

Riot Games supports the Equal Esports Cup as an official partner — reinforcing the shared commitment to greater diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunities in the world of esports.

Participation

Any team, whether it is a professional team or a privately formed team, made up entirely of women and non-binary players, can register. People who are in transition to becoming women are also included.

Registration Process

All Open Qualifier teams must re-register for each qualifier but do not need to complete the verification process again. This approach allows new teams to join later in the tournament — for example, in the third or fourth qualifier — if players come together at a later stage.

This system was chosen to ensure that as many players as possible can participate and to minimize the risk of no-shows.

Throughout the Cup, registration links are shared via social media and the official EEC Discord.

Verification Process

All participants — including players from invitational teams — must complete a one-time verification process. In addition to standard identity verification, gender identification is required, as the Equal Esports Cup is open exclusively to women and non-binary players.

Recognizing that gender identity is a personal and sensitive matter, the organizers place great importance on ensuring a respectful and comfortable verification experience. All checks are conducted by an independent agency specializing in this process, which approaches every participant with empathy and discretion.

To maintain integrity and prevent misuse, specific details of the verification process are not publicly disclosed. However, all registered teams receive comprehensive information in advance. The verification team also operates a dedicated text channel on the official EEC Discord server, where players can ask questions and receive direct support.