WBSC eBaseball™ Series 2024: Qualification process to inaugural ePremier12 revealed

The biggest tournament series in the history of WBSC eBaseball™ is just around the corner, with the qualification pathways for the first edition of the highly anticipated ePremier12, contested on the acclaimed WBSC eBaseballTM: POWER PROS, now laid out.

The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) is thrilled to announce the schedule for the second edition of the WBSC eBaseball™ Series 2024, which will culminate with the World Finals 2024 - the ePremier12 - in November. 

On 15 April, the WBSC eBaseball™ Series 2024 will get underway with the first week of the ePremier12 1^stGlobal Qualifier tournament. This marks the beginning of an intense series of online and in-person tournaments to determine who will qualify for the 2024 ePremier12 with 12 tickets available. 

Two ePremier12 spots up for grabs

Competitors will face off in two Global Qualifiers over four weeks of competition each. The top 50 players each week will earn points, with first place receiving 500 points, second place receiving 250 points, and so forth. Points breakdown is available here. The schedules for the Global Qualifiers are as follows:

ePremier12 1^st Global Qualifier

• Week 1: 15-21 April
• Week 2: 29 April-5 May
• Week 3: 13-19 May
• Week 4: 27 May-2 June

ePremier12 2^nd Global Qualifier

• Week 1: 24-30 June
• Week 2: 8-14 July
• Week 3: 22-28 July
• Week 4: 5-11 August

The top 16 players from each Global Qualifier, based on total points accumulated over the four weeks, will head to respective Play-Offs where the champions of these events will secure a spot in the ePremier12. 

The points and standings for the Global Qualifiers can be tracked by visiting KONAMI’s website.

To prepare players for the 1^st Global Qualifier, two eBaseball™ Series Practice Week tournaments will take place in April, scheduled for 1-7 April and 8-14 April. A third Practice Week will be held from 22 to 28 May.

Nine more ePremier12 tickets

In addition to the two ePremier12 Global Qualifiers, there are alternative paths to qualify for the ePremier12. Qualified players from offline and online tournaments in June and July respectively will go to the in-person Chinese Taipei Qualifier in New Taipei City from 20-22 September, where two competitors will secure their places in the ePremier12.

Between 26 and 29 September, another chance to qualify will be available through a Japan Qualifier. The champion of this tournament will advance to the ePremier12.

Throughout the summer and autumn, additional qualifying events will take place in the Americas, ensuring the participants of the ePremier12 represent the best of the best of the expanding global eBaseball™ movement.

To complete the ePremier12 lineup, Wild Cards will be allocated to guarantee that top-tier talent is not overlooked in the competition. 

The eBaseball™ Series 2024 World Finals - ePremier12 

Once the 12 participants in the ePremier12 have been determined, the field will be split into two groups of six for the Opening Round, which will take place from the end of October to the beginning of November. Group A will take place in the Americas, while Group B will go head-to-head on 1-3 November at New Taipei City Esports, hosted by the Taiwan Little League Baseball Association (TLLB), with a supervisor, the Chinese Taipei Baseball Association (CTBA).

Do you have what it takes to qualify for the ePremier12? Tune into KONAMI’s livestream on YouTube (in Japanese) and the WBSC Twitch channel (with English commentary) on Saturday 6 April to understand the WBSC eBaseball™ Series 2024 better.