The J-League announced Friday it will launch an esports tournament together with Konami Digital Entertainment Co. featuring the videogame maker's trademark soccer title. The 40 clubs in J-League's top two tiers will select three players each to compete in a mobile-app version of "Pro Evolution Soccer 2019," which has been downloaded more than 150 million times worldwide. (Konami Digital Entertainment Co. President Hideki Hayakawa, right, and J-League Chairman Mitsuru Murai pose for photos in Tokyo on March 1, 2019.) The two-day tournament, to take place July 14-15, will follow rounds of qualification starting on March 22 to decide the representatives of each club. Online registration will open Thursday. Pro Evolution Soccer, a football simulation game known in Japan as Winning Eleven, was also contested at last summer's Asian Games when esports were installed as a demonstration event. Konami Digital Entertainment also launched an esports competition with Nippon Professional Baseball last year. "Esports is enjoyed by people of different generations, gender and whether they have disabilities or not," J-League Chairman Mitsuru Murai told a press conference in Tokyo. "It is a useful way to spread the attractions of soccer."
The J-League is launching an esports tournament with Konami Digital Entertainment for the mobile-app version of Pro Evolution Soccer two-day, known as Winning Eleven in Japan. Following qualification rounds beginning on 22 March, each of the 40 clubs in J-League’s top two divisions will send three players to participate in the 2019 tournament set for 14-15 July. J-League Chairman Mitsuru Murai praised esports’ ability to appeal to people from different generations and backgrounds and said they were helpful too in furthering the appeal of football.