Soccer esports has seen tremendous growth in recent years with the introduction of new competitions. Now, Battlefy has joined forces with Bundesliga to create the VBL International Series (VBL meaning “Virtual Bundesliga”). Battlefy is a company known for delivering unforgettable esports experience in tournaments. They have worked with several organizers and players for seven years.
Already, the VBL is one of the biggest leagues for competitive FIFA in all of Europe. The VBL Club Championship and VBL Open serve as qualifications for playoffs and grand finals.
The VBL Series partner Battlefy will take the lead on tournament mechanisms and maximize both player engagement and content. The company will ensure that spectators have access to exciting matchups while also integrating brand and associated partners. Yohan Sengamalay, the General Manager of Business for Battlefy, shared the following about the partnership with Daily Esports:
Battlefy is thrilled to power the VBL International Series with the Bundesliga. The passion and pageantry of German football make it one of the most exciting leagues in the world. We could not be more excited to partner with them to bring this same excitement to esports.
So what is the VBL International Series?
After eight years of promoting VBL within the walls of Germany, Bundesliga has decided to take a step up to reach several regions across the world. The VBL International Series will differ from the regular VBL tournament. It will include all major regions worldwide with the addition of 21 new countries. A global outlook of this competition is just the beginning of what the series will entail.
All players who make it to the finals earn a special trip to Germany for an opportunity to compete in the VBL International Final. The trip does not end with a chance to win the game, as the finalists will have the chance to meet some of Bundesliga’s finest players and VBL professional players, perhaps like Erling Haaland or Jadon Sancho. They will also visit Bundesliga clubs and have a live football experience.
Start dates for the series qualifiers
The new series will start in March with regional qualifiers that will run simultaneously both in Asia and the Americas. First off, individual online qualifiers will take place with the Americas and Asia split into four regions. After this, a regional online tournament will take place to determine the best players from different countries in each of these regions.
Then in April, the players who win their regional qualifiers will represent their country at the VBL continental qualifiers. Both Asia and the Americas will have separate continental qualifier events. The continental qualifier players get to represent various Bundesliga clubs while wearing their official jerseys until the competition is over. The VBL International Series ends in May with a grand final where continental champions will compete in Germany. The winner of the series gets rewarded as the champion of Germany.
The eligible regions grouped in the Americas include Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Mexico, the U.S., and Canada. For Asia are Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, India, Brunei, the Philippines, Cambodia, Singapore, East Timor, and Vietnam.
