Welcome to the SESF! Can you tell us who you are and how did you first start to get involved in esports?
We are BLACKBIRDS, a gaming community which I founded in 2013. As the community grew, I received several requests to become an esports organiser.
What is your team/organisation/community name and when was it created?
For this project I was looking for a name that would be recognisable. Driven by nostalgia for servers I was previously playing on, I created the name BLACKBIRDS from Blackwater, the name of an old clan; furthermore I like the colour black.
What are your team/organisation/community’s current goals?
Given our passion for gaming, we would like to become a game changer for esports and casual gamers, by supporting them with supplies, innovative tools and expertise as a platform.
Do you have any achievements that make you proud?
I’m proud of the success of our community servers, our fanbase, our awesome team who made this possible and all partnerships we made with European communities & companies such as Hive 365 Radio, OVH Hosting, GOG, MN Gaming, AOG, Failtime, THC, UFC & Hellgamers, just to name a few. Of course, we should not forget the biggest CS:GO community from North America named GFL (Games For Life).
What are your objectives and expectations as a member of the Swiss Esports Federation?
We are passionate about Swiss Esports and have the desire to foster their international integration. To achieve this goal, we are partnering up with networks like yours to promote the Swiss esports market.
Community specific:
Tell us more about your community: how many members do you have? Where are they from?
Currently we have over 9,000 members on Steam, who come mainly from German-speaking countries, but an equally important part of our members comes from other European countries or even from North and South America.
Which games do you cover as a community?
Back in 2013, we started with 10 Counter-Strike: Source servers, then we moved to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Additionally, we are covering Rocket League. Valorant is also planned for the future.
What are your main activities and on-going projects at the moment? I heard that you are expanding and creating an esports team as well, can you tell us more?
Our main priority is to bring our community back on an international level, and to do so we have elaborated several strategies: • Alliances with other communities around the world • International promotion of Swiss-based esports • Our own textile collection • Several projects to support other communities • Sponsorship project for athletes & gamers Furthermore, we have other big projects in mind, but we don't want to make them official yet.
What are the main challenges that you are facing?
Without a starting capital, we have financial challenges to tackle, but thanks to our well-practised team and their skills in various areas, we manage to make it work beautifully as a unit.
In which esports games would you love to compete?
CS:GO, Rocket League and Valorant.
Are you looking for any help on these projects, or are you currently recruiting?
We welcome people who would like to participate in our projects and we are searching for skilled, creative and experienced individuals who would like to grow with us. If you would like to join us, you should be open to innovative solutions, as we want always to shine among others and differentiate us from the mass! Conclusion:
Lastly, tell us why you will succeed in your goals and what makes you special!
We are merging gaming, design & music into something special and unprecedented. Innovative solutions are considered before anything else. Therefore, our slogan is: be unique!