Electronic Arts, the video game developer behind titles such as Madden NFL and FIFA, is expanding its global FIFA esports series in 2019 and doubling its playoff capacity following strong demand last year.
The company has been upgrading and adding to the FIFA eWorld Cup over the past few years—until this year, the tournament was called the FIFA Interactive World Cup—amid soaring gaming interest and broader participation in esports from prominent European soccer players and clubs.
Competitive FIFA had a record year in 2018, with more than 20 million people from 60 nations playing worldwide, and average viewership climbing 80 percent over the prior season.