ePremier12 USA Qualifier Process confirmed; Begins with USA eBaseball™ Power League
The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) has announced the ePremier12 USA Qualifier Process, which will include two unique events using WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS, released by Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. (KONAMI) in February 2023, to determine who goes to the USA eBaseball™ Finals for a chance to compete in the ePremier12.
The ePremier12 USA Finals - which will take place on Friday, 25 October in USA – will see the top two players in the six-player round-robin tournament qualify for the ePremier12 Opening Round. The slots for the finals will be filled in two ways: League play among USA competitors and an online in-game tournament, the USA eBaseball™ Cup in WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS from 2 to 8 September.
In partnership with USA Baseball, part of the qualifiers will include the USA eBaseball™ Power League, where 18 players from USA will compete in an eight-week regular season and three-week play-offs to determine two of the six slots in the ePremier12 USA Finals.
USA eBaseball™ Power League
Players who register and are selected for the league will draft their own teams alongside their competitors and play nine three-game series against a scheduled opponent during the eight-week regular season, with the top eight players making the playoffs. All games in the league will be either recorded or streamed on Twitch by individual league members, and the player with the best regular season record and the player who wins the play-offs or is runner-up in the play-offs will move on to play in the ePremier12 USA Finals.
Registration for the USA eBaseball™ Power League runs from 4-11 June, and can be done here with the preseason player draft to be conducted from 12-16 June. The first week of games in the league will begin on 16 June, and will wrap up postseason play by 31 August.
USA eBaseball™ Cup
Along with the league competition, the USA eBaseball™ Cup online tournament in WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS will take place from 2 to 8 September, with the top four qualifying United States residents advancing to the ePremier12 USA Finals.
ePremier12 USA Finals
The ePremier12 USA Finals will be held in person, with the six qualifying players competing for two spots in the ePremier12. The winner will also have the honour of wearing the USA national team jersey at the ePremier12 event.
ePremier12 Opening Round
USA will also host Group A action in the ePremier12 Opening Round, which will take place on 26 October and 27 October. This first six-player group will compete in a round-robin tournament, with the top two players punching their ticket the ePremier12 Super Round in Tokyo, Japan.
If you have what it takes to make it to the ePremier12, download the game now on the Nintendo eShop or PlayStation Store, or apply for a coupon code HERE, and forge your path to the world stage!