#B04eSports: Trio want to make Grand Final via VBL play-offs

In the current season, a total of 26 first and second division teams entered their own squads in the VBL Club Championship, a team competition. Over the past four months, teams have competed in a league system with two regional sections to secure slots in the VBL Grand Final. Two eSports players from the top four teams have qualified directly. Bayer 04 ended up fifth in the North-West division. That entitles two players to take part in the VBL play-offs.

Last season, the Werkself won the German individual title on PlayStation 4 with Kai ‘DETO’ Wollin and Fabian ‘B04_DUBZJE’ De Cae (Xbox) the club’s two most experienced eSports players. New signing Marc ‘MARC_LDW23’ Landwehr is also one of the 128 participants in the play-offs. The 19-year-old and 103 other eSports players qualified via the VBL Open – the second route to the play-offs. This has enabled everybody to compete for the play-offs over recent months. Landwehr succeeded and he starts on PlayStation 4. The fourth eSports player, Anna ‘B04_ANNA’ Klink is currently focussing on the season run-in with the Bayer 04 Women in the FLYERALARM Women’s Bundesliga.

The route to the Grand Final: Five rounds and knockout games

The starting shot for the VBL play-offs is on 14 May. The matches will be played over three days in the so-called Swiss format. That means that each of the 104 participants – with 62 each on PlayStation 4 and Xbox – will play five rounds. One round consists of two-leg ties with the goals being totted up. If the scores are level after two 90-minute games then the winner will be determined in extra time and on penalties if necessary.

All players with a maximum of two defeats after five Swiss Rounds will qualify for the knockout rounds. That involves Rounds of 32 and 16. The eight winners of the final knockout round will progress to the VBL Grand Final (4 to 6 June).

Switch for participants: FUT in place of levelled format

The new game format represents a big change at the play-offs. The Club Championship was played using the so-called levelled format where all the virtual football players had the same strength of 90. The play-offs will now be played using the Ultimate Team mode for the first time. The restrictions on line-ups are clearly defined:

• Only players from the Bundesliga top division can be used
• In an 18-man squad there is a maximum of two players from the same Bundesliga club
• In-game shirts and badges have to be from the same Bundesliga club used in the qualifiers

To get used to the new format and the team fielded under those rules, the #B04eSports players are currently involved in an intensive period of training – always with their eyes on the prize of qualifying for VBL Grand Final via the play-offs to maintain the chance of lifting the German individual championship.