EA and Premier League confirm third ePremier League season

Electronic Arts (EA) and the Premier League have collaborated to launch the third season of the ePremierLeague, on the back of two previous successful esports campaigns.

Football supporters will once again have the chance to take the title for their club as 20 representatives compete to reach the play-offs and progress to the live finals which will be staged next spring.

The third instalment of the tournament takes place on PlayStation4 and Xbox One, with a five-figure £40,000 prize pot up for grabs. In addition, there will be seats available for top-ranking gamers at the EA SPORTS FIFA 21 Global Series (FGS) European Playoffs.

Premier League Commercial Director, Will Brass, explained: “The EA SPORTS FIFA video game series is one of the key channels through which fans all over the world can engage with Premier League clubs and players.

“We are looking forward to another edition of ePremier League after the first two seasons delivered some thrilling entertainment while giving UK-based fans the chance to represent their teams in high-profile competition. 

“ePremier League is a great platform for players of all abilities and a real mix of competitors have progressed to the final stages of both tournaments so far. This includes some of the highest-ranked professional FIFA-gamers in the world and relatively inexperienced players who have proved they can take on the very best.”

Over 22 million viewers tuned in to watch the finals of the competition over the last two years, which were broadcast on Sky Sports, the Premier League channels and EA SPORTS FIFA’s Twitch channel.

“EA SPORTS FIFA esports popularity has the strongest momentum of all time and a key accelerator in its growth is through the power of its accessibility and authenticity,” added Sam Turkbas, FIFA Deputy Commissioner. “ePremier League gives competitors the opportunity to fulfil their dreams by representing one of their favourite clubs on the virtual pitch.” 

Last season, Thomas ‘Hashtag Tom’ Leese won the 2019/20 campaign on behalf of Watford, after Donovan ‘Fnatic Tekkz’ Hunt took the title for Liverpool in the ePremier League’s inaugural campaign.

“It meant a lot for me to be crowned the 2019/20 ePremier League champion as it is one of the most prestigious tournaments on the professional FIFA circuit and it was the first major trophy of my career,” said last season’s reigning champion, Hashtag Tom.

“I can’t explain the number of times I had walked away from a tournament in FIFA 19 and 20 and felt like I should have won, so to win ePL after a lot of tough losses felt extra satisfying!”

During the online qualifiers, competitors will play in the 90-rated Online Friendlies mode as their chosen club, and the play-offs will take place in FIFA Ultimate Team mode, using only Premier League players.

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