Electronic Arts (EA) has revealed the return of the ePremier League for the 2023/2024 season. This highly anticipated esports competition features a substantial £100,000 prize pool and involves players representing each of the 20 Premier League clubs. All Premier League clubs are mandated to field players in the ePremier League, encompassing competitors on both the Xbox and PlayStation platforms. The 2023/2024 season marks the sixth installment of the ePremier League, an esports competition showcasing teams from the Premier League, the United Kingdom’s top-tier football league. This season’s ePremier League will be held under the newly launched and rebranded EA Sports FC franchise. In addition to the significant £100,000 prize pool, the tournament offers an undisclosed number of positions in the UEFA eChampions League and the FC Pro World Championships.
The imminent ePremier League finals will be a live event held over the course of two weekends, and all of it will be open for betting on https://ggbet24.com/tl-ph. The first weekend, taking place from January 20th to 21st will determine the top four clubs earning spots in the Grand Finals. The remaining teams will have a second chance to secure a place by competing on March 23rd, leading to the Grand Finals on March 24th. The tournament’s online qualification stage begins in November, with specific dates varying per club. The format for this season’s finals involves clubs fielding two representatives, who will engage in 1v1 matches against representatives from other clubs. Separate qualifiers and tournaments are held for Xbox and PlayStation players.
This news follows EA’s recent announcement of its comprehensive EA Sports FC esports ecosystem, divided into FC Pro Leagues, including the ePremier League and equivalent competitions for other national football leagues, and the FC Pro Open, an open-qualifier pathway to professional esports.
The overarching esports season offers a combined prize pool of $1 million, equivalent to around £820,000. EA Sports FC 2024 was launched on September 29th, marking EA’s first release following the rebranding from FIFA, which transpired due to the dissolution of the long-standing partnership between EA and FIFA, the global football governing body.
Premier League Chief Commercial Officer Will Brass expressed excitement about the ePremier League’s sixth season and emphasized the opportunity it provides for fans to represent their favorite Premier League clubs in a top-tier esports tournament. He acknowledged the drama and growth observed over the five seasons of the ePremier League and looked forward to the excitement the 2023/24 tournament would bring.
In the previous season, Olle ‘Ollelito’ Arbin and Tom Stokes, players for Leeds United, clinched the title of 2022/23 ePremier League champions.
EA Sports FC Introduces Fresh Esports Framework
EA Sports has introduced a new esports system for EA Sports FC (EAFC), the latest iteration of its football video game series. Rebranded from FIFA after the termination of the FIFA partnership, EA Sports FC Pro will offer a global circuit for EAFC players to compete in one-on-one contests throughout 2023 and 2024.
The EA Sports FC Pro structure encompasses two primary competitions: FC Pro Open, running from October 2023 to February 2024, allows players from ten regions to compete for a share of a combined $1 million prize pool. This competition serves as a pathway to professionalism.
Starting in February 2024, FC Pro Leagues, in collaboration with leagues like the Premier League, Bundesliga, and MLS, will run for five months, providing players the chance to win prize money and qualify for the season-ending FC Pro World Championship in June 2024. This championship will feature 32 players competing for a share of $1 million in prize money and the inaugural FC Pro World Champion title.
EA Sports has also confirmed the return of the eChampions League competition for 2024, with further details forthcoming. Sam Turkbas, Senior Director and Commissioner of Football Esports at EA, noted that FC Pro would revolutionize the engagement of millions of Ultimate Team players with EA Sports FC, offering the ultimate platform for enthusiasts to express their passion for FC.
Can EA Sports FC Step Into FIFA’s Place?
EA has embarked on a marketing campaign to promote its new brand, EA Sports FC, and reinforce its presence. Part of this effort included the inauguration of a football pitch at a London primary school named the Rocky and Wrighty Arena in honor of football legends Ian Wright and David Rocastle. The collaboration between the Premier League Foundation and EA marked the start of several initiatives to promote the EA Sports FC brand and foster youth interest in both football and video games.
Industry observers in the European esports market are curious about how the competitive landscape will evolve with EA’s title. Competing football simulators like GOALS and Konami’s eFootball have opted for a free-to-play model to attract players, positioning themselves as more open eSports ecosystems compared to EA Sports FC, which may continue to sell its base game for ~£59.99.
While EA is committed to the annual boxed product release model, they remain open to adapting if player feedback and preferences change. The divorce from FIFA resulted in some losses for EA on both entertainment and competitive fronts, such as the World Cup intellectual property and the FIFA Global Series. However, it also presented new opportunities for EA to redefine its competitive formats and approaches to esports. FIFA is a monumental game franchise, and the rebranding to EA Sports FC is unlikely to impact the dedicated player base significantly. EA’s title boasts significantly more concurrent and average players than Konami’s eFootball, and GOALS is still a few years away.
EA’s got some big challenges ahead when it comes to esports. One is keeping long-time fans happy while shifting to a new esports league. They’ll have to grow a new fanbase and keep old fans pumped up at the same time.
The licenses for over 350 teams and players are a huge deal too. With no more FIFA branding, EA’s gotta hype up the star athletes and legendary clubs people know and love. That’s how they’ll keep folks associating the game with the world’s top teams.
EA Sports FC also wants to make moves in mobile esports. That’s been an overlooked area in the Western market so far. Their plan is to bring competitive features to different platforms, listening to pro players and content creators.
EA hasn’t shared all the details yet about what’s next for EA Sports FC. But it’s obvious they’re determined to take advantage of breaking from FIFA. The esports world can’t wait to see what happens!