IESF - International Esports Federation

13/05/2026

Five tournaments. 🏆
Five championships. 🥇
One nation defining an era. 🇰🇷

From 2013 to 2018, Korea dominated the League of Legends stage at the IESF World Esports Championship, turning consistency into legacy and victory into tradition.

When the pressure was highest, Korea delivered. Again and again.

This wasn’t just a winning streak.
It was the standard.

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11/05/2026

54 nations. 17 years of competition. The World of Esports.

From first medals to historic victories.

The Medal Club is one for the books.

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05/05/2026

Not just one run.
Not just one moment.

These nations have shown consistency across the IESF stage, earning their place in The Medal Club 🏆

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29/04/2026

Years of competition.
Moments of victory.
A legacy that lasts.

Only 9 nations have reached 6+ medals at the IESF World Esports Championship.

This is The Medal Club 🥇🥈🥉

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16/04/2026

𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲. 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩. 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞.

These are the priorities shaping the future of the World of esports.

In the latest blog from our Board Member Series, we introduce Alex Young Man Kim, Global Vice President of the International Esports Federation and President of the Korea e-Sports Association.

With more than two decades of experience in the esports ecosystem, Alex brings a strong focus on strengthening governance through transparency, establishing global standards through leadership, and reinforcing the value of esports through data and research.

His perspective reflects the growing responsibility of IESF as an international federation, not only to support its members, but to help define the direction of the esports ecosystem at an international level.

From athlete protection frameworks to sustainable governance models, his work contributes to building a more structured, trusted, and unified 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬.

Read his full blog.
🔗 https://iesf.org/news/bm-series-alex

03/04/2026

𝐃𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠.
And esports might be part of that shift.

At World Esports Summit 2025, in this session, the discussion explored a simple but powerful question:
𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐲?

For younger generations, connection no longer happens through traditional channels.
It happens through 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬, 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬.

Esports has already created global communities where millions interact in real time, beyond borders, cultures, and languages.

That’s what makes it interesting from a diplomatic perspective.

Not just as entertainment, but as a form of soft power, a way to connect nations through participation, culture, and shared experiences.

From Korea to Serbia to Jordan, examples are already emerging where esports is being used to:
• Strengthen international cooperation
• Engage younger audiences
• Expand cultural exchange

👉 Not through policy, but through connection.

This doesn’t replace traditional diplomacy. But it introduces something new:
A 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥-𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

And that may become increasingly important in the years ahead.

Thank you to the speakers for the insightful discussion: Mostafa Abusamra, Young-sook Nam, Ivan Dimitrijevic, H.E. Nemanja Grbic, and HRH Prince Omar Bin Faisal!

🎥 Watch the full session here: https://youtu.be/w4DmZky0-5s?si=cTwXvucFhW2aZwNA

Esports & Diplomacy🎤 World Esports Summit 2025 | Busan, South KoreaEsports is increasingly being leveraged as a tool for cultural diplomacy, fostering inter...

31/03/2026

𝐄𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥.
𝐈𝐭 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

Publishers drive the games and ecosystems.

Federations connect everything around them, from governments and education to grassroots communities.

And 𝐧𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞. Of course, collaboration isn’t always easy.

Different priorities, lack of experience, and cultural gaps still create friction. But that’s exactly why long-term alignment and communication matter.

And it comes down to this:
🔹 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧’𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠
🔹 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫

Thanks to the speakers for the insights: Ray K.W. Ng, Elin Yoojung Moen, James Yang, Arantza L., and Jeff Hu.

🎥 Full session: https://youtu.be/hmbB735l7o0?si=mlpHVeQVouKD4HZ_

Partnering for Success: How Publishers and Federations Shape Esports🎤 World Esports Summit 2025 | Busan, South KoreaEsports publishers play a central role i...

30/03/2026

“𝐄𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭.”
We’ve all heard it.

But after this session at World Esports Summit 2025, that debate feels outdated.

The real question isn’t whether esports is competing with traditional sports.
👉 It’s whether traditional sports can afford to ignore it.

Because what’s happening right now isn’t competition. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞.

Esports already delivers what defines sport: competition, skill, and global impact. At the same time, it’s doing something many traditional sports struggle with: 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫, 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥-𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬.

This isn’t about replacement. It’s about evolution.

Traditional sports bring structure and legacy.
Esports brings innovation and new ways to engage.
𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞.

Thank you to the speakers for the insightful discussion: Boban Totovski, Eric Stranne, Gustavo Arellano Jorge, Vlad Marinescu, and Nurassyl Medeu.

🎥 Watch the full session here: https://youtu.be/duUdwrkiuf8?si=0BHqhemZRsFFSZMW

Beyond the Arena: Sports and Esports Converge🎤 World Esports Summit 2025 | Busan, South KoreaMajor sports organizations, including FIFA, FIBA, FIA, and inte...

26/03/2026

𝐀𝐈 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬: 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐭?

At World Esports Summit 2025, the discussion moved beyond whether AI is a threat or an opportunity.

Instead, it focused on something more important: 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬, 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

AI is already enhancing esports in multiple ways, from training and coaching to strategy analysis, performance tracking, and fan engagement. As one key idea from the session highlighted, AI is not just a tool, but an “amplifier”, strengthening both the opportunities and the risks within the ecosystem.

And those risks are real.

From data security and privacy concerns to competitive fairness, the panel emphasized that without proper frameworks, AI could introduce new forms of imbalance, especially if access to AI tools is not equal across players and teams.

Another critical point was data governance. Esports generates vast amounts of real-time data, making it a powerful asset, but also a potential liability if not properly managed.

The conversation made one thing clear:
👉 It’s not about adopting AI faster
👉 It’s about implementing it responsibly

𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝, 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐞𝐝, 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

Thank you to the speakers for the insightful discussion: Flip de Bruyn, Afiq Fadhli Narawi, Seth Jenny, Tsubasa Shinohara, and Ignat Bobrovich.

🎥 Watch the full session here: https://youtu.be/R5bmJZm5HPM?si=jY2h2lLyx_40X79r

AI and Esports: Leap or Threat?🎤 World Esports Summit 2025 | Busan, South KoreaArtificial intelligence is rapidly transforming esports, from cheat detection...

24/03/2026

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦?

While forming federations or organizations may be relatively straightforward, the panel emphasized that creating a sustainable ecosystem is far more complex. It requires real structures, from athlete development pathways and career opportunities to transparent governance and long-term strategies.

A key message stood out:
𝐄𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲.

Unlike traditional sports, esports is fundamentally community-driven, and its growth depends on the people actively shaping it: athletes, organizers, and local leaders.

The discussion also highlighted the importance of regional competitions, not only for talent development but also for driving economic and social impact through sponsorships, broadcasting, and local engagement.

Ultimately, the session reinforced a simple but powerful idea:
👉 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐲𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐩, 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.

Thank you to the speakers for the valuable insights: Filip Soc, Luka Kulusic, Nikola Stolnik, Cedomir Ilic, Soufiane El Filali

🎥 Watch the full session here: https://youtu.be/9zcfQYFeyhE?si=Gs1HsqnLZWF5Lzko

The Regional Voices in the World of Esports🎤 World Esports Summit 2025 | Busan, South KoreaRegional organizations play a crucial role in shaping the World o...

19/03/2026

𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐢-𝐝𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬.

While awareness around anti-doping is growing, the discussion made it clear that esports is still in an early stage when it comes to structured implementation. Information remains fragmented, access to education is inconsistent, and not all stakeholders are fully engaged.

One key takeaway was that esports cannot simply replicate traditional sports systems. Instead, it needs adapted frameworks that reflect its unique structure, particularly its online nature and reliance on publishers.

A notable example shared during the session was Korea’s approach through KADA, where education is prioritized over testing, especially considering the young age of many esports athletes. This model highlights the importance of building awareness before enforcement.

The panel also emphasized that collaboration is essential, especially with publishers, to enable data sharing, policy alignment, and consistent implementation across competitions.

Ultimately, the conversation showed that esports has reached a turning point:
👉 It’s no longer about whether anti-doping is needed.
👉 It’s about how to build a standardized, global system.

Thank you to the speakers for the valuable insights:
Łukasz Klimczyk, Tomáš Gábriš, Alejandro Alguacil Segura, Valentin Capelli, Christoffer Johansson, Junghwan Han!

🎥 Watch the full session here: https://youtu.be/ImN_3TXl-p4?si=BKfUrGrsjOR2lXXZ

Anti-Doping in Esports: Defining Standards🎤 World Esports Summit 2025 | Busan, South KoreaEsports presents unique anti-doping challenges compared with tradi...