Category: Soccer

US Soccer Taking a Leap Into Esports: The future of esports is getting bigger as time goes by. The industry has seen many athletes from different sports join tournaments and stream on twitch as they compete for prizes. The global pandemic was another huge reason as Fifa 20 helped MLS teams cope with being indoors for the most part last year.
Now, it seems like the future of esports, traditional sports, and even the sports gambling industry have all intertwined. The US soccer federation is taking a big leap into esports as they announced the collaboration with Esports Engine being the official production provider for the eNational Team Closed Finals that started on April 9th.
US soccer expressed this type of partnership from 2019, which is when the first national team for the FIFA eNations Cup was put together for the event. This is also the first time for the company Esports Engine, in regards to joining forces with a sporting team of any league.
This is only the beginning stages of the partnership. It will be interesting as to how this partnership continues in the long run as the idea of esports joining a sports federation was not even a thought a few years ago. Many other teams, federations, and clubs should be joining the esports industry as they see the success it will bring.
Esports Engine has done a lot these past few months by expanding its operations in the United Kingdom and bringing new members to the team which included former Gfinity employees Martin Wyatt and Paul Kent as Head of UK Program Operations and Head of UK Production Operations.
WHAT US SOCCER HOPES TO ACHIEVE
The US Soccer federation with the partnership and help is trying to attract more players to join the gaming industry as they see potential in the growing market. Esports Engine sees the opportunity in terms of engaging current fans and new audiences. They are also trying to find ways to get people excited about soccer as it is not as popular in the States when compared to Europe and South America.
David Wright the CCO of U.S. Soccer in a recent interview stated “We are excited to open a pathway to the eNational Team for the broader community of players and fans across the United States, while also recognizing the commitment and success by those at the top of the FIFA Global Series rankings.”
“Esports continues to provide us with an opportunity to connect with new fans and grow interest in the sport of soccer here in the United States. We are looking forward to a thrilling competition and determining our two eNational Team representatives for this year.”
Esports Engine is good at organizing events and should be a big help to the federation as they were the victors in the FIFA eNations Cup. Many want to add esports to the Olympics because the committee has a target demographic with a huge audience. The committee wants to bring it to light by the 2028 Olympics as the city of Los Angeles will host the event.
This idea shouldn’t be on hold for long as some high schools introduced the idea of having esports teams. If more organizations like the IOC can get involved, the potential for the esports industry and traditional sports is endless.

ENJOYING ARTICLES FROM ESPORT ALLSTAR? Click the link here for more esports news and updates!