Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) announced Monday its tentative competitive plans for its newest football franchise EA Sports FC. The new esports program for the game (which will be played on the PlayStation 5 version of the game) will be called FC Pro and will offer 1v1 competition across a new global competition circuit and through its League Partner programs.
The inaugural season of FC Pro will launch in October with the FC Pro Open and concludes with the FC Pro World Championship in June 2024, with the top 32 players (four from FC Pro Open and 28 from FC Pro Leagues) competing to become the first FC Pro World Champion.
FC Pro will offer a total prize pool of $1M USD, spread across five months of competition in 10 regions. Players begin by placing in the FC Pro Open Ladder, with top competitors qualifying for regional online events. From those regionals, top seeded players will be brought together in London for an in-person event to gain a spot in the FC Pro Open, an eight-week competition featuring the best players in the world.
From February – May 2024 the FC Pro Leagues will provide tentpole tournaments presented alongside FC Pro’s Football League Partners for prize money and a chance to qualify for the FC Pro World Championship under the banner of familiar football clubs (Premier League, CONMEBOL Libertadores, LALIGA, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Serie A, MLS, and more).
In June 2024, players that have qualified will head to the FC Pro World Championship, with the top 32 competitors from the FC Pro Open and FC Pro Leagues competing against one another. Players will engage in group play and a single-elimination bracket to take a share of the $1M prize pool and claim the title of the first ever FC Pro World Champion.
More details on EA’s FC esports plans will be revealed at a later date. Registration for the new league is now open.