Electronic Arts and UEFA announced a new FIFA 19 esports competition called the eChampions League where the winner will receive a $100,000 prize. The tournament is an expansion upon the EA Sports FIFA 19 Global Series.
The eChampions League is limited to Playstation 4 gamers, and the global online knockout stage will take place Mar. 2 and 3. The top 64 players will then advance to a live qualifying event held in late April. From that, eight gamers will move on to the Finals, hosted in Madrid on May 31. That event will take place one day before the real-world UEFA Champions League Final is played in the same city.
“Building an authentic UEFA Champions League competition was the next logical step in the continued EA SPORTS FIFA 19 Global Series expansion for both players and spectators,” said Brent Koning, EA SPORTS FIFA Competitive Gaming Commissioner, in a press release. “Our passionate competitors love the UEFA Champions League and the eChampions League creates a unique opportunity for the competitive FIFA superstars to represent their clubs in the pinnacle of club football.”
To further connect the esports tournament with the real-world Champions League, the eight gamers left standing in the eChampions League Final will be required to draft exclusively from players on the rosters of teams that featured in the UEFA Champions League Group Stage. A total of $280,000 will be rewarded in prizes with the winner taking home $100,000, and 850 points will be distributed towards the EA SPORTS FIFA 19 Global Series standings.
SportTechie Takeaway
The FIFA 19 Global Series will culminate with the 2019 FIFA eWorld Cup held next summer. The formation of the eChampions League comes one month after EA Sports and the English Premier League launched the ePL FIFA 19 esports league, but that tournament also allows for Xbox One gameplay. The eChampions League solely consists of PS4 competition because Sony, the maker of Playstation, is a longstanding sponsor of the UEFA Champions League.