UEFA and Electronic Arts Inc. announced the creation of the eChampions League on Friday, an esports version of the Champions League with a £215,000 prize fund.
The launch comes a month after the English Premier League started its own esports competition, the ePL, with Electronic Arts.
Unlike the ePL and FIFA's eWorld Cup, which allow players to compete on both PlayStation and Xbox, the eChampions League will be restricted to PlayStation. Sony, which owns PlayStation, is a Champions League sponsor.
Format and prize money
Online knockout tournaments will take place in March. The following month, 64 players will compete for eight spots in the final round at a live qualifying event.
The eight finalists will only be allowed to use players who took part in the Champions League group stage.
The winner of the esports final will earn £77,000 on May 31 in Madrid, a day before the Champions League final itself at Atletico Madrid's stadium in the Spanish capital.
