Corentin 'MAESTRO' Thullier celebrates as France scores in the final of the FIFA eNations Cup, England, April 14, 2019. /VCG
How does it feel to be playing football video games with real-life football stars - not in some commercial but in a cutthroat tournament? Well, several lucky eSport gamers and social media influencers will have the chance to find out.
FIFA announced on Monday that it is set to launch a new four-nation eChallenger series, where China, South Korea, Vietnam and Thailand will fight for glory in a virtual environment.
Taking place throughout the final week of June and streamed live, the 'EA Sports FIFA Online 4' series will see three players from each country compete in a tournament set up on 'FIFA 20' game, with each exciting match-up consisting of three games - including 1v1, 2v2, and 3v3 matches.
FIFA eChallenger Series to feature 4 teams from China, South Korea, Vietnam and Thailand. /FIFA official website
"For the first time, EA Sports FIFA Online 4 fans across Asia will have the chance to watch and engage directly with their favorite football stars, influencers and eSports professionals," said FIFA Chief Commercial Officer Simon Thomas.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic led to the abrupt pauses to major sports events around the world, many are turning to eSports and gaming as an alternative to stay sharp and entertained.
Digital video game distribution service Steam has repeatedly smashed its all-time records for concurrent users during the lockdown, according to data from its official website.
China players react during the day two of the FIFA eNations Cup, England, April 14, 2019. /VCG
Professional athletes are also jumping on the bandwagon. Sevilla defender Sergio Reguilon and Real Betis striker Borja Iglesias played out the Seville derby on 'FIFA 20' back in March, and 62,000 people watched a stream of the game.
In April, a number of top-flight players signed up to represent their clubs in the ePremier League and Diogo Jota won the title for Wolves after beating Liverpool full back Trent Alexander-Arnold with a golden goal.
NBA all-star Kevin Durant, Atlanta Hawks' Trae Young and other basketball big-names have been actively involved in 'NBA 2K 2020', while F1 drivers such as Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris and Alexander Albon were all regulars in the Virtual GP Series.
Diogo Jota celebrates scoring the winning goal against Trent Alexander-Arnold in the ePremier League Invitational. /Premier League official website
"It's been a lifeline in this period to keep fans engaged, and with so many people in lockdown to be able to offer them this engagement, this entertainment, following it has been wonderful," said F1 managing director Ross Brawn in a recent interview.
Echoing many industry insiders, Brawn hoped that even with some sports events gradually back in June that the lessons from eSports could prove long-lasting to improve engagement with fans.
"I think the real racing drivers taking part has been a massive boost to eSports," he said. "I'm sure that will have a lot more support and a lot more resource in the future. We've seen massive positives on that side, and we're not going to want to let them go."