October 9: Konami has tripled the prize pool for its eFootball 2027 Championship and expanded the World Finals, a strong push for a competition trying to keep pace with rivals EA Sports’ established FC Pro circuit.
Taking place in Konami’s free-to-play title eFootball, the eFootball Championship 2027 will carry $300,000 in prize money, up from $100,000, while the number of places in the World Finals has grown from 16 to 24 in both the console and mobile divisions.
This brings the combined finals field to 48 players and gives Konami a much broader competitive structure after a record 45 million players entered the qualifiers last season.
The season will again be split between the Club Event and the World Open, but Konami has added local events in different countries and territories, with the winners qualifying directly for the World Finals.
Its Club Event is still built around its small group of partner teams, including Barcelona, Manchester United and Inter, where club winners will be invited to a stadium trip and match with their respective teams, adding another layer of incentive.
The rival EA FC Pro 27 circuit is now underway online, with its Open Ladder completed earlier this month and the regional qualifiers taking place this weekend. The first big face-to-face meeting comes to London from November 5-7, when 64 players will compete in the FC Pro Open Global Qualifier for 16 spots in the live competition.
EA is operating on a different financial scale. FC Pro 27 has $2.5 million in prize money for the entire season, including $1 million for the World Championship alone. The Open itself carries a purse of $533,000.
That leaves Konami with room to bounce back commercially, even if eFootball can point to a huge participation base and the added reach of its mobile competition.
Last season’s World Finals underlined this global reach, while the new local events are designed to give more players a direct route to the main stage rather than relying solely on the central Open and club competitions.
The 2027 World Finals are scheduled for next summer, with the host yet to be confirmed.
The tripling of prize money and a 50% increase in finalists marks a clear escalation by Konami to keep up with EA’s FC Pro machine, which is already heading to London next month.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at (email protected)
