Football club Manchester City is to team up with eSports organisation Epsilon ahead of the new Gfinity Elite Series season.
Epsilon competes in several video games competitions including EA Sports title FIFA, in which it has a strong legacy stretching back to 2012.
Man City will join Epsilon鈥檚 FIFA 19 slot in the fourth season of the prestigious Elite Series. Professional eSports players from City and Epsilon will make up half of the team with the remaining players chosen through the Elite Draft.
鈥淢anchester City eSports鈥� collaboration with Epsilon provides a very exciting opportunity for us to continue our digital expansion,鈥� said Nuria Tarre, chief marketing officer at City Football Group.
鈥淭he Gfinity Elite Series is a globally renowned tournament and we are delighted to be competing alongside Epsilon鈥檚 experienced team.
鈥淢anchester City is dedicated to growing our presence within eSports. Being part of the Elite Series gives our fans a new platform to watch our players compete and we鈥檙e looking forward to seeing how they progress.鈥�
Season four kicks off this weekend, with ten teams competing in the eight-week tournament for a spot in the grand final, set for 7th or 8th December.
Epsilon eSports CEO Gregory Champagne said: 鈥淚 am thrilled that we have formed this exciting partnership with the English Premier League champions and prestigious club Manchester City.
鈥淭ogether, we will push ourselves in the Elite Series and engage our fans in exciting new ways.
鈥淧layers will wear the renowned sky blue jersey of Manchester City eSports while we nourish and support them through our latest FIFA Training Program, enhancing their abilities as pro players.鈥�