The Premier League has announced a partnership with EA Sports to launch the ePremier League, an esports tournament for FIFA 19 that kicks off next year.
The competition will let FIFA 19 players across the country represent actual Premier League clubs as they compete to reach the ePL Final in March 2019. The finals, one for Xbox and one for PlayStation, will take place in London and be broadcast live on Sky Sports and Premier League social media channels.
How the tournament will work
The tournament will run over three months starting in January, though hopeful players can sign up for the ePL beginning December 3. In January, an online qualification tournament will begin, with players competing in a cup format on each platform to find the top 16 finalists for Xbox and PlayStation.
From February to March, the top 16 players on both consoles will face each other in a half-day tournament to determine the club representative for each platform. All 20 Premier League clubs will have a live playoff round, giving two competitors a final shot to advance to the ePL final, which will take place over two days, from March 28-29.
"EA SPORTS is a fantastic partner for the Premier League and we are looking forward to launching ePremier League with them," said Richard Masters, Premier League Managing Director. "We know that millions of fans play FIFA and this new esports competition will provide our clubs with an exciting opportunity to engage with them. We can't wait to get started with the opening online rounds in January 2019."
Prize money and global series points
Existing FIFA esports professionals will be watching the ePL closely, since the tournament will also grant FIFA 19 Global Series Points, which are used to qualify for the Global Series Playoffs on the way to the eWorld Cup. This year's eWorld Cup winner, Mosad "Msdossary" Aldossary, took home £200,000 in prize money from the final, held at London's O2 Arena. There is no word yet on what the prize money for the ePremier League will be.
"The Premier League's global reach and intensely passionate fanbase pushes EA SPORTS FIFA competition to unprecedented heights as we accelerate esports growth through traditional sports," said Todd Sitrin, SVP and GM of the EA Competitive Gaming Division. "Through the ePL, this partnership carves a critical path forward in expanding competition not only for players, but for the hundreds of millions watching Premier League games who now can support their club on the virtual and the traditional pitch."
Brent Koning, EA SPORTS FIFA Competitive Gaming Commissioner, said the inclusion of the ePL would undoubtedly enhance the player and spectator experience. "Having the most popular football league in the world commit to competitive gaming in this expansive fashion we believe only accelerates the community's enthusiasm for both FIFA Competitive Gaming and the Premier League," he said.
West Ham's own tournament
West Ham United are also getting involved in esports with their own FIFA 19 tournament. Along with partner Basset & Gold, the club will offer a £25,000 prize pool, with the finals set to be held at the London Stadium on October 28.
