With the eMLS Cup 2024 drawing nearer, Major League Soccer (MLS) and Electronic Arts (EA) are expected to soon reveal what’s in store for the next season. The EA SPORTS FC game series, central to eMLS, has always aimed to connect global audiences and boost MLS’s popularity among the youth through gaming.
Since its launch in 2018, eMLS has enjoyed a growing viewership and digital engagement each year. Building on this momentum, it’s anticipated that the 2024 season could bring an expanded roster and a new schedule format.
eMLS 2024
The tournament might continue to be played exclusively on PlayStation 5 in a 1v1 format, with FC 24 Ultimate Team being the main game mode, as seen in previous years. Fans are also looking forward to potentially having two major League Series events leading up to the grand eMLS Cup next year. These events could offer more competitive streaming content, providing more game time for the players and more action for the fans.
The early rounds and group stages of each League Series may be featured on the respective MLS club’s or player’s Twitch and YouTube channels, while the main bracket matchups will more than likely be aired on twitch.tv/mls.
In line with the newly announced FC Pro program, the best FC 24 players from across North America will represent 29 MLS clubs in the latest eMLS season. There’s also buzz about a total season prize pool of $100,000, which if confirmed, would be the same as last year. This might also pave the way for the top two performers to qualify for the FC Pro World Championship.
Boot Camp loading 🎮🔥 pic.twitter.com/w8Eei9qbhm
— 🎮 Major League Soccer | #eMLS (@eMLS) October 27, 2023
Reflecting on last year, NRaseck from St. Louis City SC won the title by defeating Atlanta United’s Paulo Neto 9 – 6 in the Grand Final, setting a high bar for this year’s competition.
Esports has quickly become a popular entertainment trend in the 21st century, attracting people all around the world. Starting in South Korea less than 20 years ago, this market, now worth billions, has grown a lot, especially in the USA.
Esports tournaments like eMLS have become more exciting for fans in the USA, which is the second-largest gaming market in the world with over 160 million players. These tournaments now allow fans to wager on their favorite esports players. This new way of interacting with esports shows how much it has grown in popularity, especially in the USA. For instance, in August 2023, the state of Michigan alone saw revenue of $175.4 million from online gaming and sportsbooks, showing how much interest there is in this kind of entertainment.
FC Pro Ecosystem
The eMLS Cup is part of the broader FC Pro League ecosystem, which includes domestic competitions through League Partners, all leading up to the FC Pro World Championship. This championship gathers the best players globally to compete in the biggest virtual football esports competition.
As the gaming and football communities await official announcements, the potential changes for the eMLS Cup 2024 promise a blend of competitive gameplay, more streaming content, and possibly, a large prize pool. While the details are yet to be confirmed, the excitement continues to build for what could be the most thrilling eMLS season yet.
EA SPORTS FC 24 is now available on multiple gaming platforms including PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.