Irish fans of the beautiful game can look forward to the return of the ELOI on EA SPORTS™ FIFA 23.
The news comes as the League of Ireland confirmed the competition begins on April 4, on the Esports tournament platform challengermode.
It's back!
The ELOI returns for 2023 to the League of Ireland kicking off this Tuesday on April 4 🎮#LOI | #ELOI
— League of Ireland (@LeagueofIreland) March 30, 2023
The programme was launched in 2021 by the FAI to support the development of esports throughout the Republic of Ireland, in partnership with Epic Global, an Irish Esports agency.
The competition features participants from every Club in the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division and SSE Airtricity Men’s First Division, represented by an EA SPORTS esports player in a bid to secure one of two coveted spots in the EA SPORTS FIFA 23 Global Series Playins.
Clubs have selected their players for the competition amongst some of the best players in Ireland, with Mark Hayes representing Wexford FC.
🎮eLeague of Ireland 2023 🎮
We are delighted to confirm Mark Hayes as our representative for the eLOI Campaign 2023!
Former Performance Analyst with the Youths Women, he will now be representing the club on FIFA 23 for the eSports season!
Full story: https://t.co/yX5EccK70f pic.twitter.com/8wrn0qPc0j
— Wexford FC (@WexfordFC) March 21, 2023
The competition will run every Tuesday and Wednesday from April 4, bringing a new audience to the League of Ireland Clubs through new digital platforms.
It will be streamed live on Twitch and YouTube. This will allow supporters in the South East to follow their favourite players on their digital journey.
League of Ireland, Director, Mark Scanlon said: "We’re very excited to announce the return of the ELOI to sit alongside the League of Ireland and EA SPORTS LOI Academy.
"This unique competition offers us a portal into a whole new generation of fans who can find a new way of connecting with our League of Ireland clubs.
"It is an innovative competition that will inspire a whole new set of supporters in the League of Ireland.
"The League of Ireland Clubs have all embraced this new competition and is sure to be an exciting few weeks ahead."
The partnership has been welcomed by the managing director of EPIC Global, Trev Keane, with the company attempting to strengthen their grip on the market.
"We’re honoured to partner with the FAI again to create the 2023 instalment of ELOI, and to also take this opportunity to announce our exclusive partnership as their esports and gaming agency," he said.
"This year we’ve created the most ambitious programme to date with the FAI and ELOI supporting Irish esports from grassroots all the way to national representation for your country!
"We’ve also been keen to celebrate community this year with the programme culminating in an exclusive event this coming May celebrating the best of Irish esports, music and youth culture - watch this space."
For more information, you can visit the official website at leagueofireland.ie when the competition starts. You can also keep an eye on League's social media accounts for updates throughout the tournament.
