The gaming arena is buzzing with excitement as the Virtual Bundesliga (VBL) gears up to kick off the new 2023/24 season this November. This event marks a significant chapter in the inaugural year of EA SPORTS FC Pro, setting the stage for a thrilling competition among 35 top-tier clubs in the VBL Club Championship.
Here is everything you need to know about the 2023/24 season of Virtual Bundesliga:
VBL Tournament Structure
The Virtual Bundesliga is made up of three competitions, each with its unique format:
- VBL Open
- VBL Club Championship
- VBL Grand Final
The journey to eSports stardom begins on 1 November with the VBL Open, a platform for all aspiring players. Over four months, competitors will battle it out for a spot in the VBL Open Playoffs, where they’ll face off against the qualifiers from the VBL Club Championship.
𝐃𝐞𝐢𝐧 𝐖𝐞𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐕𝐁𝐋 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥! 🚀
Die #VBLOpen sind zurück! Repräsentiere deinen Lieblingsclub aus der @Bundesliga und qualifiziere dich für die Playoffs ✅
Ab heute ingame verfügbar in #FC24 – nimm jetzt teil! 🎮#VBL #VirtualBundesliga pic.twitter.com/YOOmbso15z
— Virtual Bundesliga (@vbl_official) November 1, 2023
The first matchdays for VBL Club Championship are set for 18 and 19 November, during the international break. The final of the VBL Club Championship is set for 23 and 24 March 2024 with a prize money pool of €87,500.
The victorious in the VBL Open Playoffs will advance to the VBL Grand Final, eyeing the coveted title of German champion in eSports and a share of the €100,000 prize pool. The stakes are high as the top two players from the VBL Grand Final will earn a seat in the EA SPORTS FC Pro World Championships, competing for the illustrious title of the first-ever EA SPORTS FC Pro champion.
Last year’s champion Antonio “Antonio Radelja” Radelja will return this season to defend his title representing VfB Stuttgart after last year he boasted the colours of Eintracht Frankfurt.
New Faces in The Championship
Among the newcomers, Bundesliga announced three esteemed clubs: Borussia Dortmund, Sport-Club Freiburg, and FC Bayern Munich. From the second Bundesliga, the lineup includes Fortuna Düsseldorf, SV Elversberg, 1. FC Magdeburg, VfL Osnabrück, and SV Wehen Wiesbaden.
They will feature among the 35 clubs that will participate in this year’s edition, divided in two divisions:
North-West
- FC Köln
- FC Magdeburg
- Bayer 04 Leverkusen
- Borussia Dortmund
- Borussia Mönchengladbach
- Eintracht Braunschweig
- F.C. Hansa Rostock
- FC Schalke 04
- FC St. Pauli
- Fortuna Düsseldorf
- Hamburger SV
- Hannover 96
- Holstein Kiel
- SC Paderborn 07
- SV Werder Bremen
- Vfl Bochum
- VfL Osnabrück
- Wolfsburg
South-East
- FC Heidenheim 1846
- FC Kaiserslautern
- FC Nürnberg
- FSV Mainz 05
- Eintracht Frankfurt
- FC Augsburg
- FC Bayern München
- Hertha BSC
- Karlsruher SC
- RB Leipzig
- SC Freiburg
- SpVgg Greuther Fürth
- SV Darmstadt 98
- SV Elversberg
- SV Wehen Wiesbaden
- TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
- VfB Stuttgart
𝐕𝐁𝐋 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐛 𝐌𝐚𝐩 🗺️🌍
„BIGGER THAN EVER.“ 👉 Bei insgesamt 𝟑𝟓 VBL-Clubs fällt es oftmals schwer, den Überblick zu behalten 👀🔍
Hier seht Ihr, wo sich jeder einzelne Club befindet📍#VBL #VirtualBundesliga pic.twitter.com/mdbVcGTAKE
— Virtual Bundesliga (@vbl_official) September 13, 2023
Switching Gears: From “95 Mode” to “Ultimate Team” Mode
In a bold move to enhance the competition, clubs have waved goodbye to the “95 Mode” and embraced the “Ultimate Team” mode. This transition caters to the desires of many players and fans, allowing participants to craft their teams from a pool of players across all Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 clubs. This feature has already seen success in the VBL Open Playoffs and the VBL Grand Final last season.
Moreover, each club will receive two exclusive 99-rated player items to use this season which is a first in the VBL history.
Exklusive #VBL Power Items! 😍
Die #VBLCC findet ab dieser Saison im Modus #UltimateTeam statt! ✅ Für diesen Modus erhält jeder Club 2️⃣ exklusive Spieleritems mit den maximalen 9️⃣9️⃣er-Werten.
🔜 Noch zehn Tage bis zum Saisonstart am 18./19. November!#VirtualBundesliga #FC24 pic.twitter.com/TItaeEvA2B
— Virtual Bundesliga (@vbl_official) November 8, 2023
The new Virtual Bundesliga stage is set, the players are ready, and a new chapter of German eSports history is about to be written.
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