The Rio de Janeiro State Electronic Sports Federation (FERJEE) has appointed Marie Freire as its new interim President.
Freire succeeds Bárbara Corrêa who stepped into the leadership role during the ongoing presidential leave of Cadu Albuquerque, who was appointed National Director of Esports within Brazil’s Ministry of Sport earlier this year. Freire previously served as FERJEE’s Vice President and Public Relations Director.
Freire’s executive mandate runs alongside the current board through 2028.
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FERJEE’s developments in Brazil have been largely defined by grassroots public initiatives, educational governance, and diversity-focused competitive formats. Prior to appointment as interim President, Freire spearheaded the development of GameCraft, Brazil’s first public esports school, alongside community projects including the FERJEE nas Escolas youth educational programme, Parada Gamer (an inclusive VALORANT tournament), and the Circuito Estadual de Esports.
Her background includes a degree in Political Science from the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO) and extensive NGO work with human rights organisations such as Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders).
“My expectation for the coming years is to continue the mandate we have until 2028 alongside our board,” said Marie Freire. “Since joining FERJEE, I have always been deeply connected to social, diversity, and gender initiatives, and that is what I want to continue driving forward.”
Beyond educational programmes, FERJEE has played a central role in international tournament delivery within the region. The federation worked in coordination with ESL FACEIT Group and state government authorities to secure the return of Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) to Rio de Janeiro’s Farmasi Arena in April 2026. Furthermore, FERJEE established Rainhas do Clutch (Queens of Clutch), an international women’s Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) tournament designed to provide competitive infrastructure for female players following the suspension of the ESL Impact circuit.
Under Freire’s leadership, the federation plans to expand its competitive portfolio across additional titles, strengthen collegiate and women’s competitive circuits, and build sustainable institutional governance across Rio de Janeiro state.
