Esports: Second season eISL to be played between February and May 2023

The eISL will be played in a league and playoff format leading up to the final in May. The Champion of the tournament will play in the qualifiers of the EA Sports FIFA 23 Global Series (FGS).

The esports athletes in action in the first edition of the first edition of the eISL in 2021. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The second season of the esports equivalent of the Indian Super League, the eISL season 2 will be played between February and May 2023, the parent company of the league, Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) announced on Thursday.

The eISL will be played in a league and playoff format leading up to the final in May. The Champion of the tournament will play in the qualifiers of the EA Sports FIFA 23 Global Series (FGS).

The season will see 11 ISL clubs participating, represented by 22 esports athletes through retention and club qualifiers.

Introducing the retention policy, each club can retain one of their players from the previous season. The online club qualifiers will take place between January 10-15, 2023.

Aspiring gamers will compete in a total of 11 online qualifiers - 1 qualifier per club with each club having two esports athletes on their roster.

Registrations for the qualifiers, with a minimum age to enter being 16, will be held on ESL Play.

This season is set to witness 62 matches played in a 1 vs 1 format with the entire league phase being played online. The playoffs and final shall be played as a LAN event.

“We are delighted to welcome eISL back to EA SPORTS FIFA Global Series this season,” said Sam Turkbas, EA SPORTS FIFA Esports Commissioner. “The eISL tournament embodies the best of Indian football and esports, with incredible competition increasing community engagement at all levels.”

The inaugural edition of eISL, ran in parallel to the 2021-22 Hero ISL season, and was an engaging tournament for football and esports fans alike, with close to 2,000 players vying to qualify for the first season. Chennaiyin FC had won the inaugural edition, beating Mumbai City FC.

Earlier this year, FSDL signed an MoU with leading German global football league Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL).

The FSDL-DFL MoU focuses on several areas of collaboration, possible club initiatives and exchange of experiences around fan engagement, as well as a strong focus on leveraging the latest technology and innovation, a key area being football esports.