Global esports joint venture T1 has announced that they are expanding their reach to FIFA. T1 already has teams in League of Legends, Apex Legends, Overwatch, Fortnite, and PUBG, among others. None of these relate to any sort of competitive soccer esports, however, and T1 has decided it is now time to get into this scene.
The esports organization has signed Jungmin “Jungmin” Kim, Gwanhyeong “Gwanhyeong” Kim, and Seyun “Seyun” Song to form its FIFA Online 4 team. FIFA Online 4 is a free multiplayer online game. It is a standalone competition outside of the FIFA 20 Global Series. Most Asian countries, especially South Korea, are actively involved in the game.
In a statement about the decision, CEO of T1 Joe Marsh said:
We are thrilled to welcome our FIFA team to the T1 family. We look forward to partnering with EA to create opportunities for gaming and soccer fans alike to celebrate the FIFA Online Series.
T1 enters FIFA Online 4
T1’s FIFA Online 4 roster already competed at tournaments before joining the organization. The trio placed third at the EA Champions Cup 2019 Spring and Winter respectively.
The new T1 players will now compete for the FIFA Champions Cup Spring in April. After that, they will battle with other teams in the EA Champions Cup Summer to get ranked higher. Just like the FIFA 20 Global Series, ranking points are also crucial in the FIFA Online 4 Series as they help teams qualify for the FIFA eContinental Cup. The T1 roster will look to secure a spot for this Cup in September.
FIFA esports have continued to experience growth in recent years, even though it falls far behind other esports. Still, a number of large organizations have started getting more involved with soccer esports. T1’s entry into the scene is surely a good sign for their continued development.
Published: Feb 24, 2020 02:49 pm