WHEN it comes to FIFA esports, there are two main areas: the Global Series and grassroots initiatives.
The former is the official initiative from FIFA and EA SPORTS, whereas the latter is run by third-party organisers and comprises of budding professionals. FIFA esports’ professional ecosystem is made up of many familiar names, from leagues to football clubs, presumably in an effort to make the jump into FIFA esports simple for prospective viewers.
Acting as the official road to the FIFA eWorld Cup – undoubtedly the most important and prestigious tournament in the circuit, much like its real-life counterpart – the FIFA Global Series is a series of qualifiers and playoffs that award points for the eWorld Cup. The top 128 players in the Global Series Rankings have one more shot at earning qualifying points through the playoffs, before only 32 competitors advance to battle for the world cup.
The official league partners of the Global Series include the eChampions League, ePremier League, Virtual Bundesliga, eLaLiga, eLiga Portugal, eLibertadores, eLigue1, eDivisie, eMLS, eSuperliga, MALTA BOV ePremier League, Czech eLiga, and eMBS.
If you’re a fan of football, you’ll recognise these names as major leagues and competitions as the top flight of the game both nationally and internationally. A lot of these leagues, which are officially-sanctioned esports versions of traditional football competitions, include participation from official football teams that take part in them. In 2019, for example, Donovan "Tekkz" Hunt won the ePremier League while representing Liverpool.
The FIFA Global Series has a number of majors in the circuit, too. Namely the FIFA eClub World Cup and FIFA eNations Cup, these events offers more qualifying points than the more-regular FUT Champions Cups that take place throughout the year.
If all of this sounds quite confusing, that’s because it is. There’s not a clear-cut structure in place on both a national and international level like in League of Legends and its annual World Championship. Regardless, the objective of each professional player is simple: qualify for the FIFA eWorld Cup. It takes its name from the most prestigious award in football, and while it’s an annual event in esports, it’s still the most desired championship in the circuit.
A net positive of FIFA esports for EA Sports is that players compete using real players and it’s simply a virtual version of the most popular game in the world. It’s easy for football fans to spectate FIFA and know what’s happening instantly. This, in turn, makes FIFA one of the most popular esports to bet on.
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