The ePremier League is back for 2022, with 40 players set to go head-to-head on FIFA 22 to become the ePremier League champion this weekend.
The ePremier League is the Premier League's official esports competition. Played on FIFA 22, on next-gen consoles, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.
This year's competition will see a change in format, as players will work together for the first time by taking part in a series of 1 vs 1 matches against pairings from other clubs, with one player competing per console.
The prize money for the competition has been increased to its highest level this year, with a prize pool totalling £100,000. There are also three seats on offer for the best-ranking players in the ePremier League Global Series Playoffs, with the winner of the competition set to take home £30,000.
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The 2022 version of the ePremier League is the first in-person ePremier League event since the inaugural event in 2019, when Liverpool and Tekkz took home the trophy. Since then, Excel's Tom Leese, formally of Hashtag United and Manchester City's Shellzz have since won the competition in online events. Tekkz and Tom will be competing for Liverpool and Tottenham respectively this year, but City's Shellzz failed to qualify for the finals in what was a major shock.
Due to the change of format, which involves clubs going head-to-head in two matches on Xbox and PlayStation, with the aggregate score deciding the winner, there are some really intriguing matchups this year.
Former ePremier League winner and Excel esports athlete Tom Leese is representing Tottenham with his Excel teammate Spencer 'Gorilla' Ealing, who is a former eWorld Cup winner.
Liverpool are represented by Fnatic duo Tekkz, who is a former winner of the competition, and Diogo Mendes, whilst Crystal Palace's representatives are both from FUTWIZ, with Ethan Higgens and Jacob Benskin representing the Eagles. Hashtag United have also locked out Watford, through their esports athletes Alex Shaw and Tom Stokes.
“It’s an honour to represent Tottenham and I’d love to win the ePremier League title for them," Said former ePremier League champion Tom Leese.
"Nobody has ever won the tournament more than once so it would be unreal for me to be the first person to do it. I’m looking forward to the Grand Finals, particularly as it’s the first in-person event for over two years.”
Inaugural ePremier League winner Donovan ‘Tekkz’ Hunt said: “I’m a huge Liverpool fan, so to represent the club for the fourth year in a row means a lot. The new team-based format of the Grand Finals is really exciting and means that I’ll need to work closely with my partner, Diogo, if we’re to win. I’m looking forward to getting going!”
ePremier League 2021/22 Grand Finals key dates
| Saturday 26 March (11-10pm GMT) |
Group Stages |
| Sunday 27 March (11-8pm GMT) |
Quarter-finals, semi-finals and final |
ePremier League 2021/22 Grand Finals Groups:
| GROUP A |
GROUP B |
GROUP C |
GROUP D |
| Chelsea |
Liverpool |
Southampton |
Tottenham Hotspur |
| Brighton |
Burnley |
Leeds United |
Watford |
| West Ham United |
Everton |
Crystal Palace |
Aston Villa |
| Brentford |
Manchester City |
Manchester United |
Newcastle United |
| Arsenal |
Leicester City |
Wolves |
Norwich City |
Here is how you can watch the ePremier League 2021/22 Finals live.
- Premier League website - premierleague.com
- Premier League app - (Download: iOS app | Android app via: Amazon, Google | Huawei AppGallery )
- Facebook - facebook.com/premierleague
- Twitter - twitter.com/premierleague
- YouTube - youtube.com/premierleague
- Sky Sports Football YouTube - youtube.com/skysportsfootball
- Sky Sports Twitch - twitch.tv/skysports
- EA SPORTS' Twitch - twitch.tv/easportsfifa
Here's the 2021/22 ePremier League prize pool in full:
- 1st place - £30,000
- 2nd place - £15,000
- 3rd/4th place - £7,500
- 5th-8th place - £5,000
- 9th-16th place - £2,500
There will also be three seats on offer for top-ranking players at the EA SPORTS FIFA 22 Global Series Playoffs.
Premier League Chief Commercial Officer Will Brass said: “We are delighted to be hosting the ePremier League Grand Finals as a live event once again, with all the finalists competing in the same arena. This will add to the excitement for those competing as well as people watching from home.
“We have some of the world’s best players taking part, alongside newcomers who will be keen to make their mark on the biggest stage. The new team-based format introduced for this year’s finals will add a completely different dynamic, putting a greater emphasis on the club rather than the individual.
“As with previous finals, I have no doubt there will be plenty of drama over the course of the weekend and I look forward to seeing which two players can lift the ePremier League trophy for their club.”
Broadcast coverage will be fronted by experienced sports and entertainment presenters Rachel Stringer, Kyle Walker and Nicole Holliday and commentators include esports experts Brandon Smith, Richard Buckley and Lisa Manley.
