UK esports organisation Semper Fortis (SMPR) Esports has moved into FIFA after signing UK players Jas Singh and Mitch.
They’ve both signed for one season with an option to renew for a further year, and will receive an annual salary and performance incentives.
“Our entry into FIFA esports is a significant strategic step,” said chief executive Kevin Soltani. “Professional FIFA esports has been fast growing. The game has always had a loyal following and huge player base, and from a competitive standpoint, it has been able to generate large audiences both on PC and console.”
Mitch previously represented Sheffield United in the Premier League’s esports tournaments and is an eLion, and Jas previously played for Chelsea and West Bromwich Albion in the ePremier League.
The new signings will debut for SMPR in the FIFA Global Series which has a $400,000 prize pot, and the org looks to qualify for the next eChampions League and FIFAe World Cup.
EA releases the next annual FIFA game, FIFA 22, on October 1st 2021. The news comes as EA has announced some changes to its FIFA esports operations.
FIFA and EA announce expanded FIFA 22 esports program
FIFA and Electronic Arts have announced a new FIFA 22 esports program ‘anticipated to attract tens of millions of players and viewers’.
Featuring both 1v1 and 2v2 competitions, players will represent themselves, globally recognised esports organisations, real-world football clubs, and their nation in a diverse set of FIFA esports events.
The three competitions featured in the expanded esports ecosystem are the FIFAe Club Series 2022, the FIFAe Nations Series 2022, and the EA SPORTS FIFA 22 Global Series on The Road to the FIFAe World Cup 2022. The three events of the series will all take place in summer 2022.
For the Global Series, qualification starts November 27th as the traditional 1v1 competitive FIFA format is showcased with online tournaments across 10 global regions.
In addition, more than 30 leagues offer esports programs as Official League Partners, including the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, Ligue 1, MLS, CONMEBOL Libertadores, and UEFA Champions League, which will give fans residing in each respective nation the opportunity to represent real world clubs.
The FIFAe Club Series will debut 2v2 FIFA Ultimate Team Cups, beginning this November with qualifiers. This series will include the new FUT Team of the Year and Team of the Season Cups on the Road to the FIFAe Club World Cup 2022.
The FIFAe Nations Series will be focused on national pride, and feature member associations competing against each other in a global 2v2 competition. Furthermore, national campaigns will find the top competitive stars.
All nations will begin their journey at FIFAe Nations Online Qualifiers, with top national teams advancing to the FIFAe Nations Playoffs on the Road to the FIFAe Nations Cup 2022.
On September 30th, legends across football, music, esports and entertainment will raise money in the Twitch Rivals eSoccer Aid for UNICEF ft. FIFA 22.
More information about the FIFAe tournament series including its new FIFAe Squad and FIFA Sound strategy can be found on FIFA.GG.
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
