Manchester City announces collaboration with Epsilon eSports

Current Premier League champions has announced a collaboration with leading esports organisation Epsilon to compete in a major FIFA video game event

Premier League champions Manchester City has announced a collaboration with eSports team Epsilon, to enter a FIFA 19 team into Gfinity Elite Series, Season 4, an eSports competition.

Manchester City's own eSports team will join Epsilon and two draft players to compete in the tournament.

Epsilon have a six-year history in competitive FIFA, and have competed in the Elite Series since its inception.

The tournament, which is entering its fourth year, hosts top teams from across Europe. FIFA 19 was introduced into the Elite Series in early 2018.

Manchester City's and Epsilon's professional eSports players will make up half of the team, with the remaining players chosen through the Elite Draft. Season 4 kicks off on the weekend of 26th October, with 10 teams competing in the eight-week tournament for a spot in the grand final, to be played on the 7th or 8th December.

Nuria Tarre, Chief Marketing Officer at City Football Group, said:

"Manchester City eSports' collaboration with Epsilon provides a very exciting opportunity for us to continue our digital expansion. The Gfinity Elite Series is a globally renowned tournament and we are delighted to be competing alongside Epsilon's experienced team.

"Manchester City is dedicated to growing our presence within esports. Being part of the Elite Series gives our fans a new platform to watch our players compete and we're looking forward to seeing how they progress."

Gregory Champagne, Chief Executive Officer at Epsilon eSports, said:

"I am thrilled that we have formed this exciting partnership with the English Premier League Champions and prestigious club Manchester City. Together, we will push ourselves in the Elite Series and engage our fans in exciting new ways.

"Players will wear the renowned sky blue jersey of Manchester City eSports while we nourish and support them through our latest FIFA Training Program, enhancing their abilities as pro players."

Bryan Healy, Chief Strategy Officer at Gfinity, said:

"Congratulations to Epsilon and Manchester City on joining forces for Elite Series 4, FIFA 19. It is another great example of the convergence of the real world and the digital world. The partnership will drive even greater global interest in the competition. The bar has been raised yet again and that is great for Elite Series fans."

Also in eSports, The International, an event hosted by game developer Valve featuring its competitive multiplayer game DOTA 2, recently featured human teams facing off against teams controlled by AI.

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