Skip to main content

EA Sports kicks off global FIFA eWorld Cup 2018 online competition

FIFA 18 Stadium large FIFA eWorld Cup
Image used with permission by copyright holder
EA Sports has announced a new global eSports event for FIFA 18 culminating in the first-ever FIFA eWorld Cup next August. Qualifying begins November 3, with several rounds leading up to the main event.

From November 2017 through July 2018, the tournament will feature several qualifying rounds where you can compete for a spot in the playoffs. There will also be qualifying events for recognized pro players and current teams to gain an entry.

Recommended Videos

By next summer, the field will be winnowed down to 128 participants — half on Xbox One and half on PlayStation 4. Dubbed the “Champions Cup,” these players will face off against each other in live events until only eight remain. Then it’s on to the FIFA eWorld Cup Grand Final.

Todd Sitrin, SVP and GM of the Competitive Gaming Division at EA, said in a press release that the plan is to build on the rising popularity of eSports in the new worldwide tournament. “Last year was a pivotal achievement for competitive FIFA, engaging millions of competitors and spectators through world football,” he said. “In partnership with FIFA, we’re accelerating the growth of competitive gaming.”

The Madden Championship has been a huge success, and EA is hoping to replicate its popularity by partnering with FIFA. “Competitive FIFA is a global entertainment phenomenon that maximizes the combined power of world football and competitive gaming in unprecedented fashion,” Philippe Le Floc’h, Chief Commercial Officer at FIFA, said.

To participate, you need to first register for the tournament. You can qualify through FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) online competitions and at live qualifying events throughout the year. Get ready for the qualifying events with our FIFA 18 FUT strategy guide to build your team into a powerhouse. It’s available now, bu if you’re new to the FIFA series, you can also grab the free demo and try it out.

We found FIFA 18 to be a game you can play for months at a time, with stunning graphics and smooth, engaging competitions. The Ultimate Team mode adds “Squad Battles,” allowing you so score new cards and coins by playing single-player matches and comparing your performance to others in online leaderboards.

EA is promising lots more information about the various tournaments soon, with official leagues representing real-life clubs, so start practicing now and get ready to face off against competitors from all over the globe.

Mark Austin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Mark’s first encounter with high-tech was a TRS-80. He spent 20 years working for Nintendo and Xbox as a writer and…
Riot Games requires Valorant e-sports organizers to turn off blood
Riot Games' Valorant

Riot Games has ordered tournament organizers of its PC hero-shooter Valorant to switch off blood in order to attract more e-sports sponsors and broadcasters.

The Valorant Community Competition Guidelines, released by the League of Legends developer in a blog post on the game's official website, requests all types of Valorant tournaments, ranging from small ones with less than $10,000 in prize money to events created by major e-sports organizers, to toggle off the shooter's Show Blood settings.

Read more
EA will donate $1 million to coronavirus relief through FIFA tournament
FIFA 20 Squad Battles

Electronic Arts will donate $1 million to the Global Giving’s Coronavirus Relief Fund in conjunction with its upcoming FIFA Stay Home, Play Together campaign tournament.

The money will aid Global Giving in donating masks and ventilators to hospitals while also sending doctors to communities in need. The nonprofit organization is also helping feed children who rely on school meals and will deliver essential items to families in quarantined cities and refugee camps.

Read more
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is getting a 5v5 top-down shooter spinoff
Concept art of the characters people can play as in Project ARC.

Krafton and PUBG Studios unveiled Project ARC today. It's a spinoff of the popular game PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, but trades in the third-person battle royale gameplay for that of a 5v5 top-down shooter.

Currently intended as a multiplayer-only title, Project ARC is trying to stand out by implementing realistic shooting mechanics into a top-down shooter. Things like target height, hit zones, destructible environments, and gun recoil matter in Project ARC when they typically don't in top-down shooters. Players choose a character, each of which uses a unique weapon from PUBG and has a gadget like a Med Kit or Grenade Launcher. Right now, the only confirmed game modes are Team Deathmatch and Demolition, which has the same rules as the primary mode of games like Valorant or Spectre Divide, but swaps the bomb for a Decrypter hacking device.

Read more