WBSC unveils historic launch of WBSC eBASEBALL™ Series and ePremier12™ at Tokyo Game Show
Tokyo, Japan - The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) is thrilled to announce a ground-breaking moment in the history of both baseball and eSport with the launch of the WBSC eBASEBALL™ Series and ePremier12™. These competitions come from the convergence of two major global passions, baseball and eSport; and made possible thanks to leading organizations in their respective domains – the WBSC and Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. (KONAMI) - building an ever-strengthening partnership.
The WBSC eBASEBALL™ Series sits at the heart of the partnership between the WBSC and KONAMI and is a marker of the significant growth of the discipline following the publication of WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS video game in February this year and the success of the eBASEBALL™ tournament at the Olympic Esports Series 2023.
Starting today on September 21st with an exhibition match at the world famous Tokyo Game Show, the WBSC eBASEBALL™ Series is a collection of online and offline eBASEBALL™ competitions that will yearly crown the WBSC eBASEBALL™ World Champion. This innovative competition brings together the excitement of baseball and the thrill of eSport, fusing tradition and technology in an unprecedented scale and capturing the hearts of fans worldwide.
"We are embarking on an extraordinary journey that redefines the landscape of sports and entertainment," said WBSC CEO Michael Schmidt, speaking at the Tokyo Game Show. "The WBSC eBASEBALL™ Series and ePremier12™ are a testament to our commitment to innovation, and it is thanks to our partnership with KONAMI and our proven synergies that we can find the strength to keep moving forward in our eSport journey."
The WBSC eBASEBALL™ Series will feature weekly online and offline tournaments on the highly successful WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS which was released in February 2023. This video game series has been a staple of baseball gaming since its first release in 1994, and it is now available to PlayStation® and Nintendo Switch™ users across all continents.
The winners of these events will secure their spot in the eBASEBALL™ World Finals and will have the chance to solidify their name in the annals of baseball and eSport history as the first ever WBSC eBASEBALL™World Champion.
The WBSC eBASEBALL™ Series is offering players of all skill levels the opportunity to compete on the international stage, train with the best players in the world, and eventually represent their country/territory in the highly competitive world of eBASEBALL™.
2023 Competition Format and Calendar
Kicking off at the renowned Tokyo Game Show 2023, with the showdown of a Japanese eBASEBALL™ player Yuki Yoshida (Taiji), against the winner of the Chinese Taipei Baseball Association eBASEBALL™ Open, Li Zechao (KOY), the exhibition match will introduce the world to the WBSC eBASEBALL™ Series. The gateway to the 2023 World Finals will be open to everyone from Monday 25 September by the weekly online event, the WBSC OPEN.
A total of four eBASEBALL™ players will move to qualify for the World Finals via different pathways including the USA eBASEBALL™ Cup from 2 to 8 October, the Finland Baseball Softball Cup from 16 to 22 October and the FIBS (Italian Baseball Softball Federation) Cup from 23 to 29 October. The USA eBASEBALL™ Cup will be contested starting online with the top four USA players advancing to the USA eBASEBALL™ Finals.
2024 edition ePremier12™
In 2024, in addition to the online tournaments, the WBSC eBASEBALL™ Series will culminate with the ePremier12™ - a live event in Tokyo, Japan, in November 2024 played during the WBSC’s flagship tournament the Premier12™. This event will feature the best eBASEBALL™ players from around the globe and will crown the eBASEBALL™ World Champion 2024.
As anticipation builds for this innovative contest, the WBSC invites fans, players, and enthusiasts from across the globe to witness the birth of a new era. Prepare to experience the fusion of tradition and cutting-edge technology as the WBSC eBASEBALL™ Series and ePremier12™ set the stage for a thrilling future.
