September 17 – UEFA is exploring options for the launch an official e-sports tournament around EURO 2020, requesting expressions of interest from firms who could “create, develop and operate an official e-sports tournament”.
Expressions of interest have to be made by September 21 and applicants have to show a track record in e-sport event creation and organisation.
Selected applications will be send a Request for Proposals (RFP) with the deadline for submission of proposals being October 10. Shortlisted bidders will be invited to present their proposals at UEFA HQ in Nyon week of October 15.
UEFA says it envisages the Euros e-s[orts tournament would be comprised of several online qualification events and one physical event.
“The selected organiser (if any) would be responsible for all aspects of the E-Sports Tournament including (but not limited to) defining the tournament format and rules, running the online qualification tournaments, organising the physical event and managing all on-site operations, providing a live feed for broadcast of the tournament, and capturing and analysing data. The relevant advertising, marketing, promotion and operation of the E-Sports Tournament will be subject to UEFA’s approval and guidelines,” said UEFA.
UEFA already has one licensed e-sports competition, launched last September with Konami who signed a deal to make its PES League World Tour 2018 the official UEFA Champions League eSports competition. PES and UEFA have had a relationship since 2009 with the latest three-year agreement being signed in 2015. PES is the only official video game licensed by UEFA for the Champions League.
FIFA has just completed it e-sports World Cup with the finals in London won by Saudi Arabia’s Mosaad ‘Msdossary’ Aldossary (pictured).
Msdossary was the last man standing in a competition that saw over 20 million eSports players compete on EA Sports FIFA 18 game platform. The qualifying 32 players from 19 countries made it to the three-day finals event in London to play in front of live audiences. The final was played over two legs with Msdossary beating off the Belgian challenge winning each leg 2-0.
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