Believe it or not, esports is a big thing even among football clubs. A recently concluded deal between the English Premier League (EPL) and Electronic Arts (EA), the famous game maker and publisher of all known sporting game franchises, will see all EPL teams sign up their own esports roster.
Esports are now en vogue in football and this is far from a fad. Serious organizations are gobbling up esports talent and adding them to their future teams. In fact, esports has come to resemble traditional football competition so much that even bookmakers are taking punts on the outcome of different matches and events, and viewership numbers are going up and up. Which are the top five FC clubs to be involved with esports in 2018, though?
1. Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) Dominating the Headlines
Just a few months ago, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) reached the finals of the Dota 2 International with the help of Chinese powerhouse LGD, a committed esports team. Now, you may be thinking – why not FIFA and you have a point. However, serious organizations such as PSG are diversifying their portfolio and fielding digital talent in multiple competitive fields.
2. West Ham Is the Silent Esports Powerhouse of the Year
West Ham have been keeping a relatively low profile in the EPL bar a draw with Chelsea that wowed the crowds. However, the club is making a serious effort to bring its expertise in esports and hit the ePremier League, which will allow the gamers under West Ham’s flag to access the EA eWorld Cup.
3. Manchester City Signs Epsilon for the Gfinity Elite Series
With the Gfinity Elite Series featuring FIFA 19 and just around the corner, it’s small surprise that Manchester City have decided to pour in their talent with the equally skilled Epsilon roster and take on the upcoming competition. With just a few days let until October 26, City and Epsilon are preparing to conquer the summits of Gfinity.
4. AS Monaco and the PES Competition
AS Monaco have decided to go a slightly different path and join Pro Evolution Soccer’s (PES) own version of world competition. The team will field players in the competition that will bring quite bit of pressure on players, as they will be facing the likes of Schalke 04 and Barcelona. It seems that digital football holds just the same challenges ahead of clubs as does its real-world prototype.
5. Schalke 04 Joins the Digital Fray
If you are a football fan, you probably missed out on the news FC Schalke 04 are in fact quite the unstoppable force in League of Legends, one of the most famous Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) games out there. Still, Schalke 04 have managed to nurture a rare breed of esports gamers who are topping competitions and expanding the brand’s awareness.
That was our quick take on the top five FC clubs that have decided to pursue esports in full in 2018. Villareal and Santos are other powerhouses that are fielding their own esports initiatives. Whether it’s FIFA or something else, clubs in football are lining up in front of the Xbox controllers.
