Electronic Arts is pulling out all the stops for FIFA Face-Off, a new community-driven esports game show that will feature celebrities, FIFA pros, and more teaming up to compete in a collection of mini-games.
The premiere will run on March 19 and 26 and includes Ted Lasso stars Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt, both appearing in character alongside The Daily Show host Trevor Noah and singer-songwriters Becky G and Nicky Jam.
Those celebrities will team up with a mix of professional FIFA players like Castro 1021. Each team will represent one of four lucky fans who were selected through a video submission community contest, which had thousands of submissions. Those teams will compete in a mixed bag of events and mini-games to try and grab the biggest share of the $25,000 prize pool on behalf of the fan they’re representing.
Both episodes will see the celebrities and FIFA players pairing up, selecting a roster in FIFA Ultimate Team, and competing in a two-legged event in the game.
Various mini-games and additional challenges will be spliced in during the event, too. These extra competitions could feature additional talent and will even include some viewer contests to get fans who are watching live involved with the show.
“Having previously no experience coaching soccer, or football if you will, I think Ted Lasso is the perfect candidate for dominating in an EA Sports FIFA esports competition,” Sudeikis said. “That said, Ted’s passion for competing and having Coach Beard at his side in support may just be enough for him to achieve esports glory in the world’s most popular sports video game. Never underestimate Coach Ted Lasso.”
In the first episode, fans can watch Nicky Jam, Fnatic’s Donovan “Tekkz” Hunt, and EashVeraam17 take on Becky G, Ninjas in Pyjamas’ Olle “Ollelito” Arbi, and JDenman. The second episode will have Trevor Noah, NFG_esports’ Lisa Manley, and FUTHeda facing off against Ted Lasso, DUX Gaming’s Jaime “Gravesen” Álvarez, Cory_B, and Coach Beard.
You can watch EA’s FIFA Face-Off live on the EA Sports FIFA Twitch and EA Sports YouTube channels starting at 11:30am CT on March 19 and 26.
