CHICAGO (Dec. 14, 2021) - Major League Soccer (MLS), Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) and Chicago Fire FC today announced the competitive schedule and details for the 2022 season of eMLS, the official esports league of MLS, which will include eMLS League Series Two in Chicago.
“The opportunity for us to host the League Series Two event provides us a chance to show the city of Chicago a new side of the Fire with eSports,” said President of Business Operations Ishwara Glassman Chrein. “We have been expanding our eSports team and we’ve put an emphasis on being one of the top teams in the league in this regard, so we’re looking forward to providing a top-rated experience for both players and fans here in Chicago.”
Kicking off in January 2022, the season will feature 27 professional EA SPORTS™ FIFA players, each representing an MLS Club, on the virtual pitch as they compete for their share of the record-setting $75,000 prize pool. This year’s season will see a return to in-person events with competitions hosted at MLS Club stadiums and local concert venues. Additionally, all participating MLS Clubs will stream each of their season qualifying matches on their respective social channels, providing clubs with new competitive content representing a record-setting 350 hours of live coverage and offering fans more opportunities to watch their favorite eMLS players compete at every tournament stage.
“Coming off our most successful season yet with record-breaking viewership, the 2022 eMLS season will see the return of some of the top EA SPORTS FIFA players in the world, with live competitions taking place in the heart of our MLS communities,” said Camilo Durana, Senior Vice President of Properties and Events, Major League Soccer. “eMLS continues to enhance and build our relationships with fans through accessible, exciting, and intense competition, which is why we’re thrilled to expand our coverage and return to live events this upcoming season.”
The eMLS season will begin with League Series 1 presented by Coca-Cola in Cincinnati from January 15-16. Following the first event, Chicago will host League Series 2 presented by Coca-Cola on January 29 at Soldier Field. The top eight players in points will then progress onto the live event the next day on January 30 at the House of Blues. Fans can RSVP for free here. More details around League Series 2 in Chicago will be provided at a later date.
The final stop of the season will be eMLS Cup presented by Coca-Cola in Austin, Texas, on March 13 as an official event of SXSW 2022, where the top 12 eMLS players will compete to be crowned the 2022 eMLS Champion. Recognized as a tier 1 league by EA, the top three eMLS Cup finishers will receive direct seats to the EA Global Series Playoffs on the Road to the FIFA eWorld Cup.
Coca-Cola, Cheez-It® & Pringles®, JLab, and PlayStation® will return as official partners of eMLS. As the Official Soft Drink/Water Partner of eMLS and presenting partner of all three eMLS season events – League Series 1, League Series 2, and eMLS Cup – Coca-Cola will be activating digitally as well as on-site. In addition to serving as the Official Snack Partner of eMLS and presenting partner of Player Lounges at all three events, Kellogg’s will present a content series that highlights the unique backgrounds and stories of eMLS players to fans. JLab will return as the Official Audio and Microphone Partner of eMLS, enhancing player performance throughout the season and presenting broadcast segments. PlayStation will once again be the Official Console of eMLS and will offer fans the opportunity to compete in several online tournaments on its PlayStation Tournaments platform alongside eMLS events.
Earlier this year, the Fire announced a significant expansion to its eSports team, which included re-signing 2018 eMLS Cup Champion Gullermo “Memo” Treviño and securing the first female gamer to represent an MLS club in Kacey Anderson. Additionally, the Fire re-signed professional FIFA players Enrique Espinoza and Edhem Jukovic to represent the Club in all local and FIFA 22 Global Series events.
eMLS prioritizes the health and safety of its competitors, staff, and fans. All in-person events will follow local and state guidelines regarding COVID-19 safety measures.
Competition will take place on EA SPORTS™ FIFA 22 and will be played exclusively on PlayStation®5 (PS5), marking eMLS’s debut season played on the next-generation console. Fans can tune in to all eMLS competitions beginning on January 15 on the official MLS Twitch, MLS Twitter, and MLSsoccer.com.
For more information on eMLS, including participating clubs and player signings, please visit www.MLSsoccer.com/eMLS.
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About eMLS:
eMLS is the esports and gaming property of Major League Soccer. Built around the EA SPORTS™ FIFA franchise, its goal is to utilize gaming to reach global audiences, raise the profile of MLS, and grow its next generation of fans. eMLS has grown from 19 MLS Clubs in 2018 to 27 Clubs participating in the upcoming 2022 season. For more information, visit www.mlssoccer.com/eMLS.
“PlayStation” and “PS5” are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
About Electronic Arts:
Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The company develops and delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, mobile devices and personal computers.
In fiscal year 2020, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $5.5 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for a portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality brands such as EA SPORTS™ FIFA, Battlefield™, Apex Legends™, The Sims™, Madden NFL, Need for Speed™, Titanfall™ and Plants vs. Zombies™. More information about EA is available at www.ea.com/news.
EA SPORTS, Battlefield, Apex Legends, The Sims, Need for Speed, Titanfall and Plants vs. Zombies are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. Madden, FIFA and the NFL are property of their respective owners and used with permission.
