Things are happening in the Swiss gaming scene

The Swiss gaming scene is on the move. For once, I'm not talking about developers, but gamers. E-sports leagues, TV broadcasts and a new community channel for Swiss YouTubers and Twitch streamers are set to take the local scene to the next level.

Streamers unite

Playvetia is the latest example of a growing group of gamers who want more than just passive consumption. Under the leadership of Manuel Oberholzer from MYI Entertainment, who also has a hand in other game projects, 16 Swiss streamers have joined forces to make common cause. The aim is to create a new Community and platform on the one hand and to enable the Let's Players and streamers to network on the other. "In Germany, it's the most normal thing in the world for Youtubers to collaborate with each other in order to benefit from each other. In Switzerland, very few people know each other," says Manuel. He wants to change that with Playvetia. It starts on 4 February. The gamers will then take it in turns to game in Swiss German on two new joint Twitch and YouTube channels. On their own channels, they will primarily do this in High German or English.

Although most of them only have a relatively small reach so far, they are very social media savvy and the project is already spreading like wildfire, says Manuel. Less active on social media is another group that Manuel also looks after: the e-athletes.

Pro gamers and their own leagues

MYinsanity has been a Swiss e-sports organisation for some time now - but the focus has increasingly shifted to the international arena and away from the local scene. This is why mYinsanity Switzerland was launched last December. The focus there is on Swiss players. Although two international players have already been signed up again for "Dota 2", the focus is clearly on Switzerland and Swiss players. "The game is played in Swiss championships, we can publish news in German and set up new commentators," says Manuel. The main games played are "League of Legends", "Hearthstone" and "Dota 2" and soon "Counter-Strike: GO" will be back. The latter will have its own league for Swiss players from March. The guys from Silentgaming have been overwhelmed by requests for their Prefire League. Over 70 teams have already signed up

UPC focuses on e-sports

The growing interest in e-sports has also been recognised at UPC. Last year, esports.ch went online, driven by Oliver Lutz. The guys and girls report on the latest topics from the world of e-sports in a weekly programme. Here, too, the aim is to push the local scene and provide a platform for everyone to grow together. Filming takes place in the new eStudios in Mrs Gerold's garden in Zurich, which is also open to new partnerships. A new league starting in spring will play some of its matches in the studio on Hardbrücke. Oliver, Online Channel Manager at UPC, sees great potential with the project - especially with the younger audience.

The purchased broadcasting rights for the NLA ice hockey matches should provide UPC with the necessary presence to bridge the gap between electronic and traditional sport with e-sports. Recently, various sports clubs such as Manchester City and FC St. Gallen have signed e-sports players. Although there are not many Swiss players who can keep up internationally, people in this country also like to watch. They also want to reach gamers for whom e-sports is not yet a household name. Nevertheless, UPC is also aware that it will not reach the masses at first. "We're not trying to fill the Hallenstadion. We are taking one step at a time and want to support the scene in its development together with other brands," says Oliver.

Of course, the whole thing is not entirely altruistically motivated. The ulterior motive is that more is being consumed via the company's own platforms and also that competitive gamers need fast lines - and where can they be found? That's right, at UPC.

Nevertheless, it's nice to see that something is happening in the Swiss gaming scene - for whatever reason. So far, it has been simmering on the back burner. There are certainly numerous talents who could also get involved internationally. Perhaps all these projects are a step in the right direction.