West Ham United will take on the rest of the Premier League this Saturday and Sunday (27 March), as the 2021/22 ePremier League Grand Finals have arrived!
Broadcast live from Here East in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the grandest domestic competition in football gaming returns in-person for the first time since 2018/19.
Alfie 'AC RedLac' Calder and Tom 'TomSmithh7’ Smith will represent the Irons at the fourth iteration of the event, bidding to claim a portion of a £100,000 prize pool - as well as spots in the FIFA 22 Global Series Play-offs.
The Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation5 players won through their respective online qualification Play-Offs last month, and will don Claret and Blue in front of millions of viewers at the prestigious event in search of FIFA 22 glory.
In a twist to the usual format, the duo will now team up to take part in a series of 1v1 matches - which comprise two-legged ties - against pairings from all other 19 Premier League clubs, with one player competing per console.
Drawn in Group A of the competition alongside representatives from Arsenal, Chelsea, Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion, their group-stage matches will be shown on West Ham Gaming's Twitch channel between 12pm and 8pm on Saturday (26 March).
The quarter-finals, semi-finals and final are then scheduled to take place on Sunday (27 March) between 11am and 8pm, with West Ham Gaming's Twitch, Twitter and Instagram channels set to provide comprehensive live coverage!
The finals will also be televised live in the UK by Sky Sports Premier League, with tournament action also shown across Premier League channels (YouTube, web, app, Twitter and Facebook) and around the world by the League’s international broadcast licensees.
"It would mean the world to win the ePremier League, as I’m hunting down my first trophy as a professional," RedLac explained.
"To represent West Ham at the ePremier League Finals will be an amazing feeling, as I represent them outside of the tournament too.
"There are going to be a lot of nail-biting moments, but I truly believe we can win the tournament. Come on you Irons!"
TomSmithh added: "It’s great to team up with Alfie, a pro player for West Ham and an amazing player, and I’m sure we’ll go very far.
"The ePremier League always has the best UK talent out there, and it’ll be very entertaining to watch.
"To represent West Ham in the competition means everything to me as I’ve been a fan my whole life. I believe I can do my Club proud."
Clubs are split into four groups for Saturday’s matches, with the top two in each group progressing to Sunday’s knockout stages. The two victorious players in the overall final will win the honour of ePremier League champion for their club.
This year’s competition is the first ePremier League to be played on next-generation consoles, Playstation5 and Xbox Series X|S.
For West Ham Gaming pro RedLac, the qualification marks a second successive ePremier League representing the Irons.
And for lifelong Hammer TomSmithh, who fell at the Play-Off stage last year and who represents Volcano Esports, it will be a first appearance at the domestic football gaming's grandest Finals.
Get following West Ham Gaming on Twitter, Instagram and Twitch for live updates and more exciting announcements in the near future!