German esports organisation Berlin International Gaming (BIG) and BWI GmbH, best known as the primary digitalisation partner of the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr), have signed a second extension of their joint commercial partnership.
Mediated by sports marketing agency SPORTFIVE, the renewal prolongs BWI’s branding across BIG’s Counter-Strike 2 (CS2), Trackmania, and Fortnite divisions, while shifting strategic focus toward internal corporate sports initiatives, talent acquisition, and employer branding.
A central component of the extended agreement is the expansion of esports as an internal corporate sports framework. Earlier this year, the entities hosted the inaugural “BWI CS2 Cup” on the FACEIT platform, drawing over 130 employee participants. The winning internal team received a dedicated bootcamp at BIG’s headquarters in Berlin, featuring professional coaching and entry into external community competitions.
BWI also utilises BIG’s Berlin facility to host internal corporate offsites, combining workplace strategy sessions with gaming activities to encourage internal networking and staff retention.
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Beyond internal employee programmes, the partners are expanding community-facing media assets with the launch of “BWI Analysis,” a tactical video series in which BIG’s professional players analyse critical match scenarios and strategic plays for viewers. BWI’s logo will remain integrated across BIG’s digital assets and competitive jerseys.
“The fact that we can announce the second extension of our partnership with BWI today speaks to the success of collaborations that go beyond logo placements,” stated Daniel Finkler, Chief Executive Officer of BIG. “Activations and formats like the BWI CS2 Cup, joint offsites at our HQ or the ‘BWI Analysis’ show how much potential lies in combining esports with a leading IT enterprise.”
Lutz Emmelmann, Head of Newsroom at BWI, added: “Gaming brings people together, including at workplaces. The enthusiasm for the CS2 tournament showed how esports promotes a sense of community and networking. With BIG, we have a partner at our side with whom we share values like teamwork and goal orientation, bridging the gap between the gaming community and our employer branding.”
The collaboration offers a case study in how esports partnerships can extend beyond traditional brand exposure and operate as a functional B2B service. In this setup, the deal essentially turns esports into a form of digital corporate sports, directly serving BWI’s internal employer branding objectives.
BIG and BWI first joined forces in July 2024, when the IT service provider made its initial foray into esports to support its technical recruitment and employer branding goals. The original agreement, renewed in 2025, focused on jersey sponsorships across BIG’s Counter-Strike 2 and Trackmania rosters.
