The ePremier League Finals Have Arrived, and This Time It Feels Personal

Forty players came into the weekend representing their respective Premier League clubs, having battled through qualifying to reach the knockout rounds on Saturday. Three rounds of elimination whittled the field down to the quarter-finalists, and it is those survivors who will now face each other in Sunday’s finals, each match carrying the kind of pressure that separates the genuinely elite from everyone else.

The top two finishers will also secure places in the eChampions League, adding another layer of significance to every match played. For the overall winner, there is the additional prize of direct qualification to the Esports World Cup this summer, where the very best EA SPORTS FC players from around the world will compete. In short, there is a great deal riding on what unfolds in Manchester today.

For those unable to attend in person, the finals will be livestreamed on the Premier League’s YouTube channel, as well as EA SPORTS FC’s Twitch and the EA SPORTS FC Pro YouTube channel. Coverage will also run across the Premier League’s social media pages throughout the day.

A tribute woven into the occasion

Before talking about titles and prize money, it is worth pausing on something that gives this weekend a deeper emotional dimension. Every player competing has been wearing a commemorative patch on their shirt in honour of Diogo Jota, the former Liverpool and Wolves forward who died last year and who was, by all accounts, a genuine and passionate member of the gaming community long before esports became the industry it is today.

Jota won the ePremier League Invitational in 2020, representing Wolves, and his connection to the scene ran deeper than a one-off appearance. He founded Luna Esports, and two of this weekend’s competitors, DiogoMendes and RastaArtur, who represent Wolves, were originally signed by him to play under that banner. The fact that both are here, competing at the highest level of the ePL, gives the tribute a poignancy that goes well beyond a simple gesture. Jota helped build this, in his own way, and the people he brought into it are still here.

A competition with a history worth knowing

The ePremier League has produced some fascinating champions over its eight years. Tekkz, one of the most decorated names in FC esports, has now won the competition three times, including back-to-back titles with Manchester City alongside Bonanno in the last two seasons. Leeds United’s Stokes and Ollelito claimed glory in 2022/23, Norwich City’s Damie and Goal Poacher won in 2021/22, and Shellzz brought the title to Manchester City in 2020/21. Tom Leese won it for Watford in that memorable 2019/20 edition, while Tekkz claimed his first title representing Liverpool all the way back in 2018/19.

The question now is who adds their name to that list today, and whether anyone can stop the recent dominance of City’s pairing. Sunday will have the answer.