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Major League Soccer and EA Sports Announces eMLS 2023 Season
Major League Soccer and EA Sports have come together to announce their plans for the eMLS 2023 season and what's in store. The season will feature FIFA 23 competitors in a series of competitions, highlighted by two marquee League Series events in New York City in January and February 2023, with the season concluding as part of the SXSW sessions in March 12th with the eMLS Cup. Players will be fighting each other for a piece of the $100k prize pool, as it will be held in a new format. We got details and quotes from the organizers below on how the season will play out.
The remote qualifiers and group stages of each League Series will be featured on each MLS club's or player's respective Twitch and YouTube channel, and fans can view the main bracket matchups on twitch.tv/mls. The season format will be as follows:
- eMLS League Series 1: The 2023 season kicks off on January 24-25 with remote qualifiers with the group stage on Jan. 28 and final series bracket games on Jan. 29.
- eMLS League Series 2: The season continues Feb. 7-8 with remote qualifiers, the group stage on Feb. 11 and final series bracket matches on Feb. 12.
- eMLS Cup: The season will conclude in Austin at SXSW, with the Last Chance Qualifier held on March 11 determining the final "Cinderella" participant spot for the eMLS Cup on March 12.
Kacey "Kacee" Anderson, the first woman content creator to be signed to an eMLS club and arguably the most watched EA SPORTS FIFA female streamer in North America in 2021, will be the official eMLS season correspondent this year. Joining her will be eMLS host Faizal Khamisa, play-by-play announcer Dan Gaskin, commentator Mike Labelle, and sideline reporter Susannah Collins.
"eMLS is excited to see new faces and past champions returning for the 2023 season," said Camilo Durana, MLS Executive Vice President. "Major League Soccer is committed to offering competitive gaming and premium esports content, expanding the way fans can support their favorite clubs. With eMLS content on more platforms and devices, we continue find ways to best serve our young, diverse, and digitally savvy fans, while highlight top global talent on the virtual pitch."
"We are delighted to welcome back eMLS for the FGS23 season. The popularity of the eMLS has been exceptional as a remarkable community of EA SPORTS FIFA fans continue to connect with the MLS through esports," said Sam Turkbas, EA SPORTS FIFA Esports Commissioner. "The natural synergy of football and esports, combined with the authenticity of the eMLS and all the participating clubs, positions this season well for strong competition."