The Premier League have teamed up with Electronic Arts, the makers of FIFA 19, to launch the inaugural ePremier League (ePL) tournament, which offers UK-based Hammers fans the chance to compete for and represent their club for the first time in competitive gaming.
All 20 Premier League clubs will be represented in the tournament, which will culminate in a live ePL final in London on 28-29 March, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
Registration for the ePL will open in December, with the tournament kicking-off in January.
Players will compete for three months across three rounds: online qualification, live club playoffs and the eventual live ePL Final. All 20 Premier League clubs will have a live playoff round allowing two FIFA 19 competitors, one per platform (PlayStation 4 and Xbox One), a final shot to advance to the Final.
“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.”
Performing well in the ePL will also earn players the bonus of valuable season-long FIFA 19 Global Series Points used to qualify for the FIFA 19 Global Series Playoffs. Competitors intending to participate in the ePL who want to also be eligible for these points will need to register on FUTChampions.com by 31 October and be FUT Champions Verified.
The ePL will be operated by esports tournament organisers Gfinity PLC. For more information visit www.premierleague.com/epl