Gfinity (AIM: GFIN), a world-leading esports and gaming solutions provider, is pleased to announce that it has been appointed by the Football Association of Ireland to deliver the first ever eLOI, a new esports competition for League of Ireland clubs.
All 20 clubs from the SSE Airtricity Premier and First Divisions will participate in the exciting new eLOI competition from April 6th with a live final scheduled for May 10th 2021 in a tournament that will come under the official League of Ireland umbrella.
Gfinity has been appointed to develop and execute the four group stage competitions and live final via its proprietary tournament management platform, as well as designing the tournament microsite. Gfinity will also be responsible for the broadcast production of the last two group stages and the live final.
The eLOI joins the EA SPORTS FIFA 21 Global Series tournament circuit as an Official League Qualifier on the Road to the FIFAe World Cup, with the top two players qualifying into the EA SPORTS FIFA 21 European PS4 Playoffs to be held later this year.
Additionally, the winner of the new eLOI will go on to be one of two designated representatives to play for the Republic of Ireland in the FIFAe Nations Series 2021 when they will go head-to-head against the top FIFA esports nations in qualification in May 2021, playing to reach the grand finals in the Autumn. The second Republic of Ireland player chosen to represent their country in the FIFAe Nations Series will qualify via an open online tournament, the FAI eCup which will run in April.
Robert Garrigan, FAI project lead said: “This marks an exciting start for the FAI with our first venture into the world of esports. We’ve seen huge growth in the participation of our Irish footballing fans in the esports space and we can’t wait to put Irish players on the map in the FIFAe Nations Series and via the brand new eLOI.”
League of Ireland Director Mark Scanlon added: “I wish all the participating clubs the best of luck in the new eLOI tournament and look forward to seeing them going on to represent Ireland on the global stage. I’d also like to extend a big thank you to FIFA and our partners EA SPORTS in making this possible.”
John Clarke, Gfinity CEO said: “We are looking forward to helping shine a spotlight on the exciting gaming talent that exists in the Republic of Ireland. This is an excellent initiative by the FAI and Gfinity is pleased to be able to bring its expertise in FIFA and esports to the table.”
