An esports franchise backed by several football superstars has become the latest addition to the line-up for the third season of Gfinity Plc’s (LON:GFIN) Elite Series gaming tournament.
Paris-based ARES – which is supported by Bayern Munich’s James Rodriguez and Yannick Carrasco of Atletico Madrid among others – has acquired its place on the roster for the event which is due to kick off in March.
READ: French esports franchise Team Vitality sign up for season three
More than 9mln gaming fans from around the world tuned into the first two seasons of the Elite Series, and that is expected to grow once again this time around.
The AIM-quoted firm has increased the number of teams to ten and attracted some top-tier names in the world of esports, including Team Vitality, Fnatic and Elite Series two franchise winners Reason Gaming.
The addition of popular football game FIFA to the list of games, which also includes Rocket League and Street Fighter V, is also expected to drive interest.
Challenger Series first though...
Before ARES’ first match though, dozens of amateur gamers will take part in the six-week-long Challenger Series with the top 40 players earning a place in the Elite Draft.
Each of the ten professional teams then drafts two players to become part of their active roster.
Once that’s out of the way the Elite Series can begin. The franchises will compete against one another in a five-week regular season as they look to make the play-offs which will be played over a three-week period from the Gfinity Esports Arena in London.
'World-class tournament'
“We are excited to have ARES onboard heading into Season Three and we look forward to them bringing their top talent to the Gfinty Esports Arena,” said chief executive Neville Upton.
“With a renowned pedigree and a host of top-tier sporting athletes who work closely with the teams, ARES will provide a perfect landing spot for our budding amateurs currently battling it out in the Challenger Series.”
Badr Slassi, chief executive of ARES, added: “Being part of a world class tournament such as the Elite Series represents an excellent opportunity for ARES to begin our international venture here in the UK.”
“The inclusion of FIFA 18, complete with qualifying spot towards the 2018 eWorld Cup, makes this a tournament we have to be involved in.”