Field of dreams: LaLiga players to battle it out in charity esports clash this weekend
March 20 – Spanish players will be in action this weekend but it will be in the virtual world of esports rather than the physical world of LaLiga.
esports
Bundesliga pushes international boundaries with launch of new eFootball series
February 13 – Germany’s Bundesliga is using eFootball to drive the league deeper into international markets with the launch of the Virtual Bundesliga International Series.
InterMilan launch esports team in partnership with gaming hothouse QLASH
February 12 – InterMilan have become the latest club to set up its own esports team, signing two players in a collaboration with QLASH.
Bale becomes eSports team owner with new launch Ellevens debuting at eClub World Cup
February 5 – The world of eSports has attracted another high profile team entrant from the world of football, but this time it is a player rather than a club. Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale has launched a new eSports team called Ellevens Esports.
Denmark to host May finals of FIFA eNations Cup
February 3 – FIFA’s eNations Cup 2020 will be hosted in Copenhagen by the Danish Football Association (DBU) May 22-24. It will be the first time the finals have been played in front of a live audience.
Milan venue for FIFA eClub World Cup 2020 finals
January 15 – Milan will be the host city for the FIFA eClub World Cup 2020 finals that will be played February 7-9, the first time the finals have been held in Italy.
eMLS kicks off with win for Cincinnati’s Fiddle
January 13 – While the MLS season doesn’t kick off until the end of February, its eSports equivalent has already kicked off with the first stage of 2020 eMLS competition played this weekend in Philadelphia.
OL powers into the esports big leagues with LDLC partnership
By Paul Nicholson
January 8 – Olympique Lyonnais (OL) are the latest European Big 5 league club to formalise and expand its professional e-sports operation to compete under the club’s name on a variety of game platforms as well as the FIFA platform.
Man City, Roma and OL lead big name clubs into 2020 FIFA eClub World Cup finals
December 29 – Roma, Basel, Man City, Borussia Mönchengladbach and Olympique Lyonais lead the club branded qualifiers for the FIFA eClub World Cup 2020 finals to be be played February 7-9.
eSports edges towards Olympic recognition but for simulation games only
December 16 – Olympic esports took a tentative step towards becoming a reality with the IOC suggesting that simulation games based on the actual sport (rather than ‘killer games’) could be included in the Olympic programme.
Bayern join Barca, Juve and Man Utd for 10-team eFootball.Pro season
December 10 – German Champions FC Bayern Munich are the latest club to enter Konami’s eFootball.Pro League, joining other newcomer Manchester United for the second season of the esports competition that begins December 14.
eMLS unveils 2020 season with 25 clubs and January opener
November 19 – With the MLS having just completed its regular season, the eMLS has announced its competitive schedule for 2020 that will begin in January 2020, a couple of months before action on the pitch kicks off.
FIFA unveils eNations Cup and eClub World Cup formats; July set for eWorld Cup finals
November 1 – FIFA’s esports division has unveiled its qualification process for the returning eNations Cup and eClub World Cup as well as the pathway to the eWorld Cup 2020.
Esports strategy: Smart clubs plan for more than just the FIFA game in global branding play
By Paul Nicholson
October 31 – The esports business is expected to generate $1 billion of income this year, rising to $5 billion annually in five years time. It is an income growth wave that football has been keen to catch, but a report by the KPMG Football Benchmark team argues that the attraction of football to esports should not be solely about revenue generation.
Holland’s eDivisie revamps league and brings in DreamHack as platform partner
October 24 – Holland’s Eredivisie is gearing up for the start of the eDivisie’s fourth season on November 11 with a new partnership with DreamHack and an updated competition format.