FC Pro (FC Online) Ecosystem Ruleset 2026

1. OVERVIEW

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

The FC Pro (Asia) 26 (“Competition”) is sponsored by Electronic Arts Inc. (“EA”), 209 Redwood Shores Parkway, Redwood City, CA 94065, USA and is governed by these Official Rules (“Official Rules”). 

The Competition is a standalone video game competition conducted using EA SPORTS™ FC Online game (“FCO”). 

All federal, state, provincial, and local laws and regulations apply.

Any third party that operates another video game competition incorporating the Game is the sponsor of such competition and will determine the applicable terms and conditions for  participation.  Non-EA SPORTS™ FC Online game  competitions are governed by separate terms and conditions for participation.

These Official Rules  set forth the main principles applicable to the participation of FCO esports teams (“Teams”) and their participating competitors (“Competitiors“) in the Competition.

The Competition employs a leaderboard-based system in which  Teams will receive EA SPORTS FC Pro Ranking Points (“Ranking Points”) through their performance during the Competition.   

The following is the current list of Events (each, a “Live Event”) in this year’s Competition: 

• FC Pro Masters (“Masters”)

• FC Pro Champions Cup (“Champions Cup”)

In addition to Masters and Champions Cup, the Competition also involves the gameplay thatTeams and Participants in TWO (2) domestic-scaled competitions (each, a “Domestic Qualifier”) run by Nexon/Garena/Tencent in their territory of publishing, serving as the source of the representing Teams and Participants from each territory. 

Before participating in any Domestic Qualifier to enter the Competition and the Event,  Teams and Competitors shall sign or accept this Ecosystem Ruleset. Before participating in any LiveEvent, Teams and Competitors shall sign or accept, as the case may be, the specific terms and conditions drafted by EA, which govern the participation of such Teams and Competitors to the Live Event (the “Event Ruleset”).

2. ELIGIBILITY

2.1. ELIGIBILITY 

One must meet the following eligibility requirements to be considered a “Competitor”:

• Be at least sixteen (16) years old and be the minimum age required to have a full (not underage) Nexon or Tencent in their territory of residence as of the time of registration and acceptance of the Official Rules;

• Accept these Official Rules;

• For Competitors under the age of majority in their territory of residence, have a parent or legal guardian review and consent to these Official Rules on their behalf and accompany them to any Live Event;

• Be a resident of one of the eligible countries/territories listed in Appendix B;

• Agree to EA’s Privacy and Cookie Policy located at https://privacy.ea.com (“Privacy and Cookie Policy”) and User Agreement located at https://terms.ea.com (“User Agreement”);

• Have a valid Discord account (https://discord.com); and 

• Qualify through a Domestic Qualifier and receive an invite from EA to participate.

2.2. ACCEPTANCE OF OFFICIAL RULES; CHANGES TO THE COMPETITION AND OFFICIAL RULES

Invited Competitors must read and accept these Official Rules on the Registration Site by that date indicated on the invitation to be considered for participation in the Competition.

These Official Rules may be updated by EA without notice as necessary, including without limitation, to add further clarity, correct errors, comply with changes in applicable law, or address matters that arise after their publication.  

EA reserves the right to cancel, suspend and/or modify all or part of the Competition, or any part of it, if any fraud, technical failures, act of God, fire, flood, storm, war, public disaster, or other calamity, strike or labor difficulties, public health emergency, cessation of air travel to a Live Event, or any governmental or regulatory determination or action, regulation or order, or any other cause beyond EA’s reasonable control  or any other factor impairs the integrity or proper operation of the Competition, including the safety of Competitors or fairness of the Competition, as determined by EA in its sole discretion. EA reserves the right to disqualify any Competitor at any time for any reason, including without limit to, for tampering with the operation of the Competition, or acting in violation of these Official Rules.  Any attempt by any person to deliberately undermine the legitimate operation of the Competition may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and EA reserves the right to seek damages and other remedies (including attorneys’ fees) from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law.

By participating in the Competition, Competitors agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of EA, Competition officials, and Competition administrators.

2.3. PROOF OF RESIDENCY 

Competitors may be required to provide proof of residency in an eligible country/territory/region to compete in the Competition. The sufficiency of any such proof or documentation will be determined by EA (or its agent) in its sole discretion. The list of eligible countries/territories can be found in Appendix B.

Competitors invited to participate in the Live Event may be required to sign and return a Declaration of Eligibility to Travel, and must certify their country/territory/region of permanent residence by providing a government-issued identification, such as a driver’s license, identification card, or work visa with a photo, name and physical address in an eligible country/territory/territory.

Competitors under the age of majority in their territory of residence may provide a school identification card if government-issued identification is not available and their parent or legal guardian must also provide government-issued identification.

2.4. EMPLOYEES AND CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

Employees of EA and its respective affiliates, subsidiaries, representatives, advertising, promotion and publicity agencies, vendors, Nexon Korea Corporation, Garena Online Private Limited and Tencent Holding Ltd., former employees of EA who participated in the development of the Game, and the immediate family members or persons living in the same household of such employees are not eligible to participate in the Competition.

2.5. REGISTRATION DATA AND LEADERBOARD

As part of the registration process, Competitors will be asked to provide optional information, such as team name and this information may be used in any leaderboard data created as part of the Competition. The leaderboard will be published on [ ] and updated with point totals on a regular basis, as determined by EA in its sole discretion.

2.6. REPRESENTING A FCO ESPORTS TEAM IN THE COMPETITION

The rules in this section should be followed from Domestic Qualifiers.

The composition of one (1) Team is three (3) or four (4) Competitors who meet the Eligibility and Residency requirements outlined in Sections 2.1 and 2.3. 

FCO Esports Team ownership is granted to the representatives of each Team, based on an FCO Esports Team Agreement Form (as attached in Appendix D) that requires the Competitors’ signatures.

• FCO Esports Team Owner (individual, group or organisation) represents the Team.

  • FCO Esports Team Owner may directly or indirectly own and operate a maximum of one Team within the Competition including all eligible countries/territories.

  • Only such FCO EsportsTeam Owner indicated on the FCO Esports Team Agreement Form may request changes or make inquiries about the Team, its structure or its participation.

  • Changes in Teams’ ownership can take place seven (7) days prior to the 1st Domestic Qualifier, from which moment the changes cannot take place until Masters is completed.

  • Changes in s Teams’ ownership can take place after Masters finishes until at least seven (7) days prior to the 2nd Domestic Qualifier, from which moment the changes cannot take place again until Champions Cup is completed.

  • The season will reset after the Champions Cup is completed.

  • All the requests regarding ownership changes should be sent to EA within the said deadline by emailing easportsfcproasia@ea.com.   

• No more than one Team can operate under the same brand or have the same or similar name within the Competition.

  • A Team will be asked to select a distinctively different name Esports Team names and must not be deemed vulgar by EA and to identify itself for Competition. The name must be unique from other FCO affiliates.

    • ATeam name must not include any brand name of Electronic Arts Inc., Nexon Korea Corporation, Tencent Holding LTD., Garena Online Private Limited.

    • The use of country/territory affiliations within the name is subject to EA’s written approval.

• A Team may request to change its official name, including the option to grant sponsors partial naming rights, as long as:

  • The request is being sent in writing to EA at least seven (7) days prior to the Domestic Qualifier. 

  • At EA’s reasonable determination the Teams may request to remove sponsors from their name at any point. This exception shall never be applied to add sponsors.     

  • All the requests regarding name changes should be sent to EA within the said deadline by emailing easportsfcproasia@ea.com.

• In any qualifier event, Competitors may only represent the same Team that secured their qualification into the event.

• FCO Esports Team Coach Eligibility

  • Each\Team is free to nominate one non-playing coach as part of its Team delegation (“Coach”). Each Team shall ensure that the Coach complies at all times with all the requirements in the Section 2.

  • The Coach must have been a part of theTeam from the previous Domestic Qualifier to be eligible for participating in FC Pro Masters and FC Pro Champions Cup. A temporary add-in between one Domestic Qualifier and the subsequent FC Pro event is not permitted. For example:

    • Between 1st Domestic Qualifier and FC Pro Master not permitted.

    • Between 2nd Domestic Qualifier and FC Pro Champions Cup not permitted.

  • The Coach should only represent one Team for the one FC Pro Event, but can be replaced between FC Pro Masters and 2nd Domestic Qualifier, samely allowed by following 2.9, as the changes to rosters.

  • The Coach can be Import Coach (as defined in Appendix E: GLOSSARY).

  • The Coach has the rights to attend Draft Day at the FC Pro Event, but is not permitted to sit on the stage with the Competitors. 

• The season will reset after the Champions Cup is completed. 

Competitors are not allowed to compete in more than one Domestic Qualifier and/or Team, qualifying to Masters and Champions Cup.

2.7.  REPRESENTING A FCO ESPORTS TEAM AT AN EVENT

At minimum twenty-eight (28) days before the start of the Masters and Champions Cup, the Teams that have qualified for such competition must provide the following information for inclusion on broadcast, in-game on the Live Event build and for the digital coverage:

• Team full name;

• Team shortened name of two to four alphanumeric symbols;

• Team roster, including:

  • Competitor’s real name

  • Competitor’s in-game display name of four to eleven alphanumeric symbols

  • Competitor’s travel and visa information

  • Team Coach name

• Team logo and Live Event build Art Assets (See Appendix G)     

• List of official sponsors for the Team including

  • Sponsor’s full name and shortened name

  • Sponsor’s business category

  • Sponsor’s logo

  • Placement of sponsor branding on Team uniform, if applicable

• The Team uniform design for the Event (See Appendix A).

• The Team Agreement Form (See Appendix F)

EA will inform qualified Competitors of any applicable deadlines. It is the Team’s responsibility to submit this information in time for it to be incorporated into the broadcast, Live Event build, and web coverage of the event. Submissions after this deadline will not be incorporated into broadcast or web materials.     

2.8. RANKING POINTS OWNERSHIP

Ranking Points for each Team will belong to the Team named in the FCO Esports Team Agreement Form upon the participation in their first Domestic Qualifier of the season.

2.9. ROSTER CONTINUITY AND CHANGES

• For Teams that are qualified to FC Pro events, changes to rosters (including adding one more Competitor to the existing three (3) competitors, and replacing Coach) are not permitted during the break between Domestic Qualifiers and the subsequent FC Pro event.

  • e.g. To entry FC Pro Masters, the qualified Teams must retain the roster from 1st Domestic Qualifier.

  • To entry FC Pro Champions Cup, the qualified Teams must retain the roster from 2nd Domestic Qualifier.

  • Dropping 1 competitor out of 4 due to emergencies may be possible, after reviewing by EA.

• Except for the above, changes to rosters may take place at any other time during the Competition, but to retain Ranking Points earned at any Event, the following provisions must be satisfied.

  • Changes to the roster take place from the end of Masters until seven (7)days before the start of the 2nd Domestic Qualifier.

  • Team must maintain two (2) Competitors that earned the first Ranking Points.

    • e.g. if the Team A earned Ranking Points from 1st Domestic Qualifier, the Team can replace  Participating competitors after Masters, but seven (7) days before 2nd Domestic Qualifier. 

• Teams that earned FCO Ranking Points and intend to make changes to their roster must immediately communicate such changes, including all the names of the new and old roster, to EA for approval via email to easportsfcproasia@ea.com within the said deadline.

• All the roster continuity rules will be reset after FC Pro Champions Cup 2026.

EA will inform Teams of any other applicable deadlines and required information. This information may be incorporated into the broadcast and web coverage of the event. 

3. COMPETITION STRUCTURE

The Competition employs a leaderboard-based system in which Teams will receive EA SPORTS FC Pro Ranking Points (“Ranking Points”) through their performance during the Competition.  .  See APPENDIX C  for full tournament structure, match rules, format and gameplay settings.

3.1. TYPES OF EVENTS

Domestic Plays: 1st Domestic Qualifier, 2nd Domestic Qualifier, as described in Appendix C 1.1 (run by Nexon/Garena/Tencent)

Regional Plays: FC Pro Masters, as described in Appendix C 1.2 (run by EA)

Regional Plays: FC Pro Champions Cup, as described in Appendix C 1.3 (run by EA)

3.1.1. See APPENDIX C for additional schedule details.  

EA reserves the right to cancel or re-schedule Live Events, and to modify the Live Events tournament structure if, in its reasonable judgment, such changes are necessary to maintain a fair and respectful environment for all Competitors. EA also reserves the right to make such changes if it deems they are necessary to comply with applicable law.

3.2. PLATFORMS

Competitors will be provided with a designated practice device (“Practice Device”) and Competition device (“Competition Device”) installed with a specific competition build (“Live Event Build”) at a set time, designated by Event Officials, in order to train and prepare for the Competition. Competitors must only use the Practice Devices and Competition Devices under the guidance and allowed time period by Event Officials.

Information about the devices and the Live Event Build are deemed confidential. Any mentions to the public or externals, including the SNS platforms, Competitor fan groups or communities, and Competitor personal live streaming, are strictly forbidden.

4. PARTICIPATION IN LIVE EVENTS

4.1. TRAVEL FOR COMPETING IN LIVE EVENTS

EA may cover certain travel and accommodation costs incurred by Competitors during their participation in the Competition. EA or third parties may provide travel accommodations for some invited or qualified Competitors to a Live Event at EA’s or such third party’s expense. For Competitors with travel expenses paid by EA, the selection of transportation carriers, hotels, and/or related transfers will be in EA’s sole discretion. EA reserves the right to provide ground transportation instead of airfare based on a Competitor’s travel distance from a Live Event. If a Competitor requests special travel or accommodation plans, such as different travel dates, different carriers, or departure/arrival cities other than the designated city for the tournament, and if the cost of the special travel request exceeds that of the standard tournament travel plans, EA may require the Competitor to cover the difference in cost.

Receiving travel accommodations is contingent upon compliance with these Official Rules. If a Competitor is disqualified or travel is forfeited for any reason, EA may award that Competitor’s travel and accommodations to an alternate Competitor, who may assume that Competitor’s place in the Competition.

Incidentals for travel, including, without limitation: telephone calls, facsimile charges, Internet charges, spa/beauty salon services, laundry, tours/excursions, gift shop purchases, hotel processing fees, airline service charges and any other expenses not mentioned in these Official Rules are the sole responsibility of the Competitor or parent/guardian, and the Competitor may be asked to account for any such incidental charges by providing the applicable hotel with a credit card. Hotel and airfare cannot be used separately. Travel and accommodations are subject to availability and certain restrictions. Any extra nights’ stay and any additional costs associated with an extended stay are the sole responsibility of the Competitor and his or her parent/guardian. Valid passport and/or other travel documentation may be required, which is the responsibility of each Competitor. Additional restrictions may apply.

4.2. DECLARATION OF ELIGIBILITY 

Competitors must sign a Declaration of Eligibility to Travel prior to accepting travel accommodations to the Live Event. The Declaration of Eligibility to Travel will be provided to Competitors via email to the email address. If a Competitor does not complete the Declaration of Eligibility to Travel within seven (7) calendar days of attempted notification, fails to sign and/or return the Declaration of Eligibility to Travel within the required time period, refuses travel, is ineligible to accept travel, or is unavailable to travel on dates appropriate to the Live Event, the Competitor forfeits travel accommodations, as well as their place in the Competition.

If a Competitor is a minor in his or her territory of residence, the Competitor’s parent or legal guardian will be required to sign all necessary documents to accept travel and must accompany the Competitor to the Live Event. In these instances, travel accommodations will include additional airfare for one (1) parent or legal guardian. Competitor and parent/legal guardian must travel together on the same itinerary and will share hotel accommodations.

4.3. BACKGROUND CHECKS

In order to participate in a Live Event, and to the extent permissible in the Competitor’s country/territory of residence, potential prize winners may first be required to submit to a background check and provide the necessary information that EA requests to be eligible to receive a prize.  EA reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any potential winner based on such background check if EA determines, in its sole discretion, that awarding a prize to such winner might reflect negatively on EA. 

5. ENFORCEMENT

EA Accounts, the leaderboard, and match data may be audited, including for malicious behavior and cheating.  Any Competitor may be disqualified immediately from the Competition and related competitions, at the discretion of EA or its designees, for any reason, including for any failure to comply with the User Agreement, Privacy and Cookie Policy, and these Official Rules, including the Code of Conduct at Appendix A, which may include but is not limited to:

• using any cheats, hacks or other third-party “helper” applications in playing Game matches;

• intentionally disconnecting from the Internet during any Game match;

• colluding with other Competitors in playing Game matches;

• selectively matching up against the same opponent repeatedly;

• taking advantage of known exploits in the Game (it is the responsibility of Competitors to understand and avoid all current illegal exploits); or

• abusive or disorderly behavior, including any use of harassing, negative, or profane language online.  

EA, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to disqualify any Competitor at any time, for any reason, including but not limited to tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Competition, or acting in violation of these Official Rules or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner and reserves the right to void all associated entries. EA’s failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.

6. PRIZES

6.1. PRIZING

6.1.1. IN-GAME CHAMPION KIT

To recognize and celebrate the championship achievement, EA will grant the winning Teams of the Masters and Champions Cup the opportunity to produce their own in-game uniform, which includes a shirt, shorts, socks, and shoes (the “Champion Kit”). An FCO Esports Team that already has an existing Champion Kit in the game may elect to replace it with the newly designed Champion Kit.

EA may request the winning Team to submit the necessary information for making the Champion Kit which may include but is not limited to:

• Champion Kit concept designs, colors, and images.

• A signed license agreement.

It’s the Team’s responsibility to submit the necessary information in a timely manner. 

6.1.2. CASH PRIZES

See APPENDIX D for distribution of prizes for the Competition.  

6.2. PRIZE TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Prizes are not transferable. No substitution of prizes for other goods and services is permitted, except that EA reserves the right to provide a substitute prize of approximately equal or greater value if the advertised prize is unavailable or not allowed by local law.  All federal, state, provincial and local taxes, and international tariffs, are the sole responsibility of the individual winner.

Potential winners will be required to complete and sign a Prize Winner Declaration and Release to claim a prize within 90 days of completion of the Live Event in order to claim the prize. If a potential winner fails to sign and/or return the Prize Winner Declaration and Release, refuses the prize, is ineligible to accept the prize, or the prize is returned as undeliverable, the potential winner forfeits the prize. 

Failure to communicate banking information or delivery method to prize distribution vendor in a timely manner may result in forfeiture of the prize. If a potential winner is considered a minor in his or her territory of residence, winner’s parent or legal guardian (as required by law) will be required to sign all necessary documents upon verification of identification. Receiving a prize is contingent upon compliance with these Official Rules.  All prizes claimed in accordance with these Official Rules will be awarded. In the event a potential winner is disqualified, or the prize is forfeited for any reason, EA retains the discretion to donate the applicable prize to a charity of EA’s choosing. Potential winners may be required to provide a valid shipping address to claim prize.  Allow up to three (3) months for delivery of prizes.

In the event EA cancels or suspends the Competition pursuant to Section 2.3 above, prizes will be awarded for all events prior to such cancellation or suspension.  

7. GENERAL TERMS

Nothing in these Official Rules shall be deemed to exclude or restrict any Competitor’s statutory rights as a consumer. 

7.1. PERSONAL INFORMATION

By participating in the Competition, Competitors acknowledge that EA will process their personal information (including name, address, date of birth, EA Account Name, email address, Platform Username, country/territory of residence) in accordance with the Privacy and Cookie Policy for the purposes listed therein. If Personal information has been collected from Competitors by an organizing or local processing entity, Competitors agree to such entity transferring the relevant information to EA.

Personal information will be used and processed as described in the Privacy and Cookie Policy, including for the purposes of:

• Organizing, running, and monitoring the Competition and prize fulfillment, including for Competitors that win a prize, publishing Competitor names and countries of residence online or in any other media in connection with the Competition, as described further below; and

• Any additional processing activities to which Competitors consent and/or acknowledge as applicable, such as sharing information with designated Competition operators and/or administrators, including for booking travel and soliciting feedback on the Competition, or gameplay and features of EA game titles.

Personal information will be processed in the United States or any other country in which EA, its subsidiaries, or third-party agents operate.  By entering the Competition, Competitors consent that their personal information may be transferred to recipients in the United States and other countries that may not offer the same level of privacy protection as the laws in their country of residence or citizenship, as further explained in the Privacy and Cookie Policy. 

Competitors have the right to access, withdraw, and correct their personal information. Competitors may request such action by visiting our Privacy Portal, https://www.ea.com/privacy-portal.

Please note that we may request background investigations for Competitors that EA invites to Live Events. EA may request Competitor consent and provide details about such investigations if applicable and necessary.

The organizing or local processing entity for the Competition, if applicable, may be considered a data controller for the Personal information submitted by Competitors.  If such entity is a data controller, their privacy policy will be provided to Competitors in accordance with applicable law. Please refer to such privacy policy for details regarding how Competitor personal information data is processed and Competitor rights with respect to it. 

Applicability of User Agreement and Privacy and Cookie Policy:  Competitor’s participation in the Competition is also governed by the User Agreement. If there is any conflict between these Official Rules and the Privacy and Cookie Policy and User Agreement, then the Privacy and Cookie Policy or User Agreement, as applicable, will control.

7.2. RELEASE AND PUBLICATION OF COMPETITOR INFORMATION 

WINNER’S LIST: EA will post a winner’s list online after all winners are confirmed two (2) weeks after the end of [each Live Event and online Tournament] at FC PRO Online.  This list will remain posted for three (3) months after the end of the Competition. 

7.2.1. Competitor grants to EA the right to publish and otherwise use Competitor’s statistics and rankings in connection with the Competition for any purpose, including for marketing and promotional purposes, without consent or compensation to Competitor.

7.2.2. By accepting a prize, Competitor grants to EA the right to use their personal information and any other information provided by Competitor, without further consent or compensation to Competitor, for the administration, marketing, and promotion of the Competition, EA, and/or the Game, unless otherwise noted below:

• Background info: Full name, country/territory of residency, age, Supported Platform username (e.g., Xbox Live Gamertag, PSN ID, EA Account ID)

• Social Media Information: X handle, YouTube channel, Twitch account, Instagram username

• Photos: Any photos provided by Competitor to EA or photos of Competitor taken onsite at a Live Event 

• Other Information for tournament administration only: shirt size, dietary restrictions, mobile phone number

• Any other biographical information provided by Competitor (e.g., favorite professional sports teams players)

7.2.1. Competitors acknowledge and agree that EA may provide Competitor’s EA account Information (name, Online ID, age, country/territory, game play stats and scores, and email address) to our partners and agencies, and these parties may use the account information for the purposes of administering the Competition and related events, including without limitation that our agencies may contact Competitor by email and/or other means.

7.3. GOVERNING LAW; RELEASE OF LIABILITY

7.3.1. EA’s decisions will be final and binding on all matters related to the Competition. 

7.3.2. To the extent permissible by local law, the Competition is governed by the laws of the State of California and all claims must be resolved in the United States.

7.3.3. To the extent permissible by law, Competitor agrees to release and hold harmless EA, its affiliates and its agents from any and all liability or any injury, loss, damage, right, claim or action of any kind arising from or in connection with this Competition or any Competition-related activity, or the receipt, acceptance, possession, use or misuse of EA-provided travel or any prize won.

8. COMMERCIAL RIGHTS

All commercial rights (including, without limitation, all marketing, and media rights) relating to the Competition are reserved for EA.

Competitors shall not associate themselves with the Competition and/or EA in any commercial manner, nor use any intellectual property rights of EA, nor shall they permit any third parties to do so, without the prior written consent of EA, which may be granted or withheld at EA’s sole discretion.

Any Competitor or a Competitor’s sponsor wishing to engage in any promotional or marketing activities with respect to the Competition, including at any Competition tournament venue, will need prior written consent from EA, which may be granted or withheld at EA’s sole discretion. 

The recording and dissemination of images or footage of the Competition for commercial purposes by or on behalf of any Competitor is strictly prohibited, except when explicitly authorized by EA. 

APPENDIX A: CODE OF CONDUCT

This Code of Conduct applies to all Competitors at all levels of the Competition, unless otherwise specified. EA reserves the right to levy penalties, sanction, or disqualify any Competitor for violations of this Code of Conduct in its sole discretion.

A.1 COMPETITOR BEHAVIOR GENERALLY

Competitors are some of the best and highest profile players in the world and are therefore ambassadors of the Competition and held to a high standard by EA, the public and the media. Competitors must conduct themselves in a reasonable manner, maintaining an appropriate and respectful demeanor to spectators, members of the press, tournament administrators, and to other Competitors. 

Competitors are required to conduct themselves in accordance with commonly accepted standards of decency, social conventions, and morals, and to not commit any act or become involved in any situation or make any statement which brings disrepute, contempt, scandal, ridicule, or disdain to the Competitor, EA, the Competition, or to its Competitors and sponsors.

These requirements apply to live, offline, and online interactions, in and out of the Competition, including with respect to social media conduct and activity on live streams, past conduct and during Live Events. All Competitors are expected to adhere to these standards of sportsmanship and the EA Rules of Conduct, available at https://terms.ea.com, at all times, including when not participating in EA sanctioned events.

Prohibited conduct includes, but is not limited to:

• Violating any law, rule or regulation, as determined by EA in its sole discretion;

• Using any software or program that damages, interferes with or disrupts the Competition or another's computer or property;

• Using any external software designed to give the competitor an unfair advantage;

• Interfering with or disrupting another Competitor's participation in the Competition;

• Harassing, threatening, bullying, engaging in hate speech, repeatedly sending unwanted messages, including making personal attacks or statements about race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, heritage, etc.;

• Using vulgar or offensive language;

• Abusive behavior, including harassment and verbal threats;

• Publishing, posting, uploading or distributing content, or organizing/participating in any activity, group or guild that EA (acting reasonably and objectively) determines is inappropriate, abusive, hateful, harassing, profane, defamatory, threatening, obscene, sexually explicit, infringing, privacy-invasive, vulgar, offensive, indecent or unlawful;

• Using exploits, cheats, undocumented features, design errors or bugs in the Competition;

• Selling, buying, trading or otherwise transferring or offering to transfer an EA account, any personal access to EA services, or any EA content associated with an EA account, including EA virtual currency and other entitlements, either within an EA service or on a third-party website, or in connection with any out-of-game transaction, unless expressly authorized by EA;

• Playing on behalf of another Competitor, or allowing someone else to play on Competitor’s behalf, in any competitive game mode;

• Gambling, including betting on the outcome of Competition matches;

• Disclosing any confidential information provided by EA or any of its affiliates;

• Accepting or giving gifts, bribes, rewards, or compensation for services that are rendered in connection with competing in the Competition (with an exception for Competitors with sponsors who pay them based on their performance);

• Causing or contributing to scandal, reputational harm or risk to the integrity and reputation of the Competition or EA;

• Engaging in any other activity that disturbs the professional, fair, and respectful gaming environment of the Competition; 

• Playing on behalf of another Competitor, or allowing someone else to play on Competitor’s one’s behalf, in any competitive game mode; and

• Promoting, encouraging or taking part in any prohibited activity described above.

A.2 LIVE EVENT CONDUCT

Competitors must maintain an appropriate level of respect, in EA’s sole judgment, towards other Competitors, referees, officials, event staff, and tournament administrators. Threatening or inappropriate behavior towards the referees and the other Competitors will not be tolerated. Incidents and punishment will be identified at the sole discretion of Competition officials or EA. Competitors must follow the instructions of Competition officials or EA at all times. 

Examples of prohibited conduct includes, but is not limited to:

• Using vulgar or offensive language;

• Abusive behavior, including harassment and verbal threats;

• Physical abuse, fighting, or any other threatening action directed at any Competitor, spectator, official or any other person;

• Damage and/or abuse to game devices, hardware, peripherals, tournament equipment, or the facility/venue/lodging;

• Interfering with or interrupting the broadcast or broadcast production;

• Interfering with gameplay, including purposely breaking a game station, interrupting a power supply, leaving a station before the conclusion of a match, refusing to play, and abuse of in-game pausing;

• Failure to cooperate with safety and security requirements, such as metal detectors and bag searches;

• Failure to follow instructions given by tournament sponsors, referees, and security personnel;

• Playing any game other than the copy of the Game provided for use in the tournament; and

• Failing to be available for any post-tournament awards ceremonies, interviews, and the entirety of the Live Event or Online Tournament, as well as any promotional activities reasonably requested by EA or other sponsors.

A3. LIVE EVENT DRUG & ALCOHOL POLICY

Competitor use of alcohol or drugs is prohibited on any Live Event premises, and Competitors may not be under the influence of drugs or alcohol while participating.

Smoking, including the use of e-Cigarettes and vaporizers, is prohibited at any Live Event except in designated areas.  Some venues may ban smoking entirely.

A4. LIVE EVENT DRESS CODE

• Competitors must wear attire appropriate to the circumstances (as determined by EA). Competitors shall not wear, carry, or bear any items of a political nature, or which in EA's opinion cause controversy or reflect unfavorably upon EA, its partners, or the Competition.

• Competitors shall not carry out any promotional activity or marketing of brands and services in connection with the Competition unless otherwise approved in writing by EA.

• Competitors andTeam shall wear the official uniform of their entity throughout the event, when applicable.

• Competitors are not allowed to wear attire/accessories that disturb the broadcast.

  • If any Participating competitor’s attire/accessories is deemed inappropriate, the Participating competitor could be asked by EA to change such attire/accessories to be able to continue the tournament.

• Each FCO Esports Team’s entourage, which includes the coach and media members of the FCO Esports Team, shall only be permitted to wear either unbranded, non-commercial attire, or the same attire as the Participating competitors of that FCO Esports Team, which shall at all times be in accordance with these regulations and the Event Ruleset. 

• Each Competitors  shall participate while wearing properly fitted equipment, which shall be professionally manufactured. The jersey must be unique from other Competitors’ jersey and must not include any design deemed vulgar by EA and their affiliates.

A5. COLLUSION AND MATCH-FIXING POLICY

Any action or agreement to disadvantage other Competitors, in the Competition, to predetermine the outcome of a match, to try to lose a match, to affect the fairness of the Competition, or to limit efforts to win a match is strictly prohibited. 

Any Competitors determined by EA to be violating this rule at any phase in the Competition may be removed from the Competition.  Such Competitors may be forced to forfeit or return any compensation and/or prizes and may have their EA and/or Game accounts suspended.

Examples of prohibited conduct include, but are not limited to:

• Intentionally losing a match for any reason at any time during the Competition;

• Playing on behalf of another Competitor, including using a secondary account, at any time during the Competition;

• Any form of match-fixing;

• “Soft play,” defined as a Competitor not giving their best effort or not taking reasonable and fair actions to gain advantage against their opponent(s) in a match;

• Agreeing to split prize money among two or more Competitors; and

• Allowing an opponent to score more or less goals than they normally would.

A6. PENALTIES

Violation of these Official Rules and/or Code of Conduct may, at EA's discretion, result in penalties, disqualification, change in match results, loss of winner status, and/or forfeiture of prizes.  All decisions and rulings of EA relating to the Competition are final and binding. EA reserves the right to penalize any Competitor in the Competition at any level, at any time for any reason. Penalties may include, but are not limited to, any or all of the following:

1. Warning

2. Final Warning

3. Forfeiture of single match

4. Forfeiture of all matches

5. Reduction in match score

6. Loss of awards (including prize money and paid travel expenses);

7. Suspension from the Competition; and/or

8. Disqualification from the Competition and future competitions

9. A deduction of points scored during a group stage

10. Automatic game loss

11. Temporary or permanent suspension from the Competition 

12. Loss of Rankings Points. 

13. Disqualification of Domestic Qualifier

EA also has the right to publicly announce penalties that have been levied on Competitors, and such Competitors hereby waive any right of legal action against EA, and any of its affiliates.

A7. COMPETITOR SPONSORSHIP

Competitors in the Competition may acquire and work with promotional sponsors.  Promotional sponsorship is limited, however, to exclude certain categories and industries. If the promotional sponsor falls under one of the below categories, the Competitor may not display or promote the sponsorship in conjunction with EA, its partners, or the Competition.  

Subject to these Official Rules and EA’s right in its sole discretion to prohibit, reject, remove, blur, or obscure any mark, logo or signage, Competitors in the Competition may include the display of promotional sponsors.  Competitors may not display or promote any products or services in conjunction with EA, its partners, or the Competition that offer or are associated with: 

• Gambling, wagering, or lottery products or services including but not limited to sports betting, fantasy sites gambling or similar websites or services;

• Alcohol, tobacco, prescription drugs, restricted drugs and/or similar products or paraphernalia;

• Firearms or any type of weapons;

• Pornographic or any sexually explicit or adult material;

• High fat, salt or sugar foods and drinks;

• Energy drinks, powders or similar products;

• Dietary supplements;

• Medical devices, services, or treatments;

• Political ads or otherwise promoting a political agenda;

• Illegal products or services, or content that otherwise violates any applicable laws in the territories where the Game is available;

• Products or services from direct competitors of EA, its partners, and its other subsidiary brands;

• Cryptocurrencies and/or websites promoting/relating to the trade of cryptocurrency;

• Direct competitors of Competition official marketing partners; 

• Anything that is detrimental to EA’s business (e.g., hacking, gold services, account/coin selling, etc.)

The list is illustrative and non-exhaustive. EA reserves the right to add or remove any product or service from the list at any time without notice. 

A8. NAMES

Competitors will be asked to select a unique name to identify themselves. The name must be unique from other Competitor names and must not be deemed vulgar by EA and its affiliates.  Names must not infringe on a third party’s intellectual property, privacy or publicity rights, or violate the law or EA’s User Agreement.

This Display Name will be used to identify Competitors during the live broadcastings, promotions and competition related activities. It shall be the same as their Display Names in the Domestic Qualifying Events, or a new one, if EA and Event Officials determines it does not comply with the following requirements:

• The inclusion of the name, branding or other intellectual property of any third party in the Competitor name is at EA’s sole discretion and EA reserves the right to require any Competitor to compete under a neutral and commercially unbranded name/logo in its discretion at any time;

• Competitors are strictly prohibited from using EA or any EA's intellectual property rights in their names;

• Competitors must receive prior written approval from EA to use a nation or country/territory name in their Display Names;

• Must be original and distinct from other Competitors and must not be deemed vulgar by EA and its affiliates. Names must not infringe on a third party's intellectual property, privacy or publicity rights, or violate the law. In the event of two or more Competitors registering for the 2026 Master or Champions Cup events with the same name, EA reserves the right to require any and/or all relevant Competitors to register under a new name in its discretion (provided that EA shall consider any reasonable representations of the relevant Competitors in this regard); and

• Competitors shall provide EA with an English translation of their player names, as the case may be.

APPENDIX B: ELIGIBLE COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES 

To eligible to participate in the Competition, Competitors must be a legal resident of one of the following countries/territories:

This list of regions is subject to changes or modifications provided by EA at any moment and for any reason.

APPENDIX C: COMPETITION STRUCTURE, MATCH RULES & GAMEPLAY SETTINGS

C1. COMTITION FORMAT 

The “FC Pro Champions Cup” serves as the pinnacle event of the Competition and will not grant additional Ranking Points. Domestic Qualifiers and Masters are the qualifying events for the Champions Cup.

Ranking Points will be granted to the Teams according to the performance results in Domestic Qualifiers and Masters.

EA reserve the right to cancel, postpone, relocate, organise a replacement “online” version of any Competition stage or reschedule any event, and to modify the tournament structure if, in their reasonable judgment, such changes are necessary to maintain a fair and respectful environment for all Teams or as a result of circumstances and/or events outside of their reasonable control (including as a result of the pandemic outbreak), without any liability of EA in this respect. EA also reserve the right to make such changes if they deem they are necessary to comply with applicable law.

C1.1 DOMESTIC QUALIFIER

There will be two Domestic Qualifiers in each eligible country/territory (as defined in Appendix B: Eligible Countries) during this year’s Competition. 

The format for each Domestic Qualifier will be independently determined and applied by Nexon/Garena/Tencent. 

The date for each Domestic Qualifier will be independently determined and applied by Nexon/Garena/Tencent, but within the period as follows:

• 1st Domestic Qualifier: Until April 19, 2026

• 2nd Domestic Qualifier: Until Sep 8th, 2026

The result of each Domestic Qualifier is as follows:

The participation to Domestic Qualifiers is further governed by the Event Ruleset drafted by Nexon/Garena/Tencent which Competitors willing to participate agree to abide and comply with.

C1.2 FC PRO MASTERS     

FC Pro Masters will be run by EA in collaboration with a third party, with a minimum of eight (8) Teams, based on the 1st Domestic Qualifiers. The event shall be held with following structure:

• The first-place teams from each participating country/territory shall be allocated to Pool 1, while the second-place teams shall be allocated to Pool 2.

• The competition shall consist of a Group Stage followed by Playoffs, with a total prize pool of USD 150,000.

• Group Stage Format:

  • Eight (8) teams shall be divided into two (2) groups of four (4) teams each. The Group Stage shall be conducted in a single round-robin format, with each match played as a Three(3) Game Match.

  • Match standings within each group shall be determined by the total score accumulated across all matches played in that group. 

    • Match Scoring System

      • Points shall be awarded on a per-game basis as follows:

        • Game Win: three (3) points

        • Game Draw: one (1) point

        • Game Loss: zero (0) points

      • Example:

        • In a match between Team A and Team B:

          • Game 1: Team A wins (Team A receives 3 points)

          • Game 2: Draw (each team receives 1 point)

          • Game 3: Team B wins (Team B receives 3 points)

        • Final match totals:

          • Team A: 3 + 1 + 0 = 4 points

          • Team B: 0 + 1 + 3 = 4 points

      • The total score for each team shall be calculated by summing all points earned across all games played within the group.

  • Each game shall have a duration of ninety (90) minutes, with no extra time or penalty shootouts.

  • Each three (3) game match shall require both Teams to nominate individual competitors selected from their registered roster of three (3) or four (4) competitors. The three nominations cannot repeat, meaning the competitor from Game one, two and three cannot be reused.

  • The nomination for each game can be made one-by-one, meaning that only after the conclusion of the previous game the competitors for the next game need to be nominated by both Teams. The top two Teams from each group will qualify for the playoffs.

  • The top two (2) Teams from each group shall qualify for the Playoffs.

• Playoffs Format:

• The Playoffs shall be conducted in a single-elimination format.

• Each Matchup except final will be played in a Best-of-5 format, meaning that participating Teams must at least win three games of the maximum five games played. The Best-of-5 format shall have both of the Team nominate for each of the first three games individual competitors from their registered three or four competitors. If participating Teams have a fourth competitor nominated for the competition, they can nominate such competitor to the fourth game. Otherwise, for the optionally required games four and five, the competitors from the games one, two and three can be re-used. A single competitor can only compete in two (2) games of a single matchup between two (2) Teams.

• The final will be played in a Best-of-7 format, meaning that participating Teams must win at least four (4) out of the seven (7) games. Competitors are prohibited from competing more than once in the first three (3) games. Each Competitor is allowed to participate in up to three (3) games throughout the series, with their third participation only occurring in the  seventhgame (if played). If a team consists of four (4) Competitors, each Competitor must participate in at least one of the first six (6) games.

The result of Masters will be as follows:

The top four (4) teams at Masters will qualify directly to the FC Pro Champions Cup.

The participation to Masters is further governed by the Event Ruleset which Competitors willing to participate agree to abide and comply with. 

C1.3  FC PRO CHAMPIONS CUP     

The FC Pro Champions Cup will be operated by EA in collaboration with a third party, with a minimum of twelve (12) FCO Esports Teams, based on Master and Ranking Points.

The event shall be held in accordance with the following structure:

• Group Stage 

  • Teams shall be invited by cumulative Ranking Points throughout the Competition, with the following distribution.

• Twelve (12)Teams shall be drawn into Two groups, according to the Pools. Each group will consist of six (6)Teams, respectively, two Pool 1, Pool 2, and Pool 3 seed.

• A maximum of two Teams from the same region can be drawn into the same group.

• The Group Stage shall be conducted in a single round-robin format, with each match played as a three (3) Game Match.

• Each three (3) game match shall require bothTeams to nominate individual Competitors selected from their registered roster of three (3) or four (4) Competitors. The three (3) nominations cannot repeat, meaning the competitor from Game one, two and three cannot be reused.

• The nomination for each game can be made one-by-one, meaning that only after the conclusion of the previous game the Competitors for the next game need to be nominated by both Teams. 

• The top four(4) Teams from each group will qualify for the playoffs.

• Playoffs 

  • Single-elimination style bracket.

  • The allocation within the bracket will be determined based on the seed determined from the Group Stage results.

  • Each Matchup except final will be played in a Best-of-5 format, meaning that participating Teams must at least win three (3) games of the maximum five (5) games played. The Best-of-5 format shall have both of the Team nominate for each of the first three games individual competitors from their registered three (3) or four (4) competitors. If participating Teams have a fourth Competitor nominated for the Competition, they can nominate such Competitor to the fourth game. Otherwise, for the optionally required games four and five, the Competitors from the games one, two and three can be re-used. A single Competitor can only compete in two (2) games of a single matchup between two (2) Teams.

  • The final will be played in a Best-of-7 format, meaning that participatingTeams must win at least four (4) out of the seven (7) games. Competitors are prohibited from competing more than once in the first three (3) games. Each Competitor is allowed to participate in up to three (3) games throughout the series, with their third participation only occurring in the seventh  game (if played). If a Team consists of four (4) Competitors, each Competitor must participate in at least one (1) of the first six (6) games.

  • The nomination for each game can be made one-by-one, meaning that only after the conclusion of the previous game the Competitors for the next game need to be nominated by both Teams.

The participation to the FC Pro Champions Cup is further governed by the Event Ruleset which Competitors willing to participate agree to abide and comply with.

C1.4  RANKING POINT TIEBREAKERS     

If two (2) or more Teams have an equivalent amount of accumulated Ranking Points throughout the season, placement for the Ranking Points Standing will be judged by following criteria, throughout the season.

For tied teams within the same country/territory,  the tiebreaker will be resolved by the following methods, in descending order of priority:

• The highest placement record, in descending order of priority, at

  • FC Pro Masters 

  • 2nd Domestic Qualifier

  • 1st Domestic Qualifier

• Higher accumulative goal differences, in descending order of priority, , at

  • FC Pro Masters 

  • 2nd Domestic Qualifier (Playoffs only)

  • 1st Domestic Qualifier (Playoffs only)

• More goals, in descending order of priority, at

  • FC Pro Masters 

  • 2nd Domestic Qualifier (Playoffs only)

  • 1st Domestic Qualifier (Playoffs only)

• Less cumulative warnings, in descending order of priority, at

  • FC Pro Masters 

  • 2nd Domestic Qualifier (Playoffs only)

  • 1st Domestic Qualifier (Playoffs only)

• If Teams are still tied, an additional tie-breaker match (Best-of-1) should be hosted by Nexon/Garena/Tencent in the respective country/territory.

APPENDIX D: PRIZING

All amounts are in USD.

D1. FC Pro Masters

Prizing is awarded based on finishing placement in the EA SPORTS FC Pro Masters. Total prize money is $150,000.

D2. FC Pro Champions Cup

Prizing is awarded based on finishing placement in the EA SPORTS FC Champions Cup. Total prize money is $300,000.

APPENDIX E: GLOSSARY

Competitor - a real-world, professional EA SPORTS FC ONLINE player, registered by FCO ESPORTS TEAM AGREEMENT FORM to participate in Competition under one registered FCO Esports Team

Import Competitor/Coach - a EA SPORTS FC ONLINE player/coach who is registered with a team located in a region or country/territory different from their own nationality.

Team  - a group of a real-world, professional group of competitors, consist of three (3) or four (4) Competitors

In-game Team - in-game EA SPORTS FC ONLINE roster of virtual in-game players, used in Event play by each individual Participating competitors on a FCO Esports Team

Game - a single instance of two Competitors facing off on the platform of FC ONLINE, with victory determined by the number of in-game goals scored by each Competitor

Matchup - a single instance of two (2) participating Teams facing off off on the platform of FC ONLINE, with victory determined by the number of games won in the course of the matchup (e.g. three (3) games won in a Best-of-5-game matchup)

Double-elimination Tournament - A double-elimination tournament is a type of elimination tournament competition in which a participant ceases to be eligible to win the tournament's championship upon having lost two (2) matches. Once the  Team loses the matchup, the losing Team will proceed into the losers bracket and the winning Team proceed into the winners bracket. Loser bracket champion do not need to defeat the winner bracket champion twice in the grand final to win the tournament.

APPENDIX F: FCO ESPORTS TEAM AGREEMENT FORM

Ranking Points each Team will belong to the Team named by the Competitors in this form and will be officially awarded upon submission of this form by emailing easportsfcproasia@ea.com. The form is to be filled by the full Team (three (3) or four (4) Competitors) and representative (e.g. manager or owner) of the Team based on the status throughout the FC Pro.

APPENDIX G: FCO ESPORTS TEAM LIVE EVENT BUILD ART ASSETS

Each Team must submit the art assets to EA by emailing easportsfcproasia@ea.com in the required dimensions to produce the in-game assets for the live event build.

The dimensions are as below:

• Team logo

  • In the dark background

    • Large : 256x256px

    • Medium : 128x128px

    • Small : 64x64px

    • File type: PNG (transparent background)

  • In the light background

    • Large : 256x256px

    • Medium : 128x128px

    • Small : 64x64px

    • File type: PNG (transparent background)

• Team flag

  • 512*128 x 4 flags

  • File type: psd

• Team banner

  • 1024*512 x 4 banners

  • 512*128 x 2 banners

  • File type: psd

Team shall acknowledge, adjust and submit any additional art assets required by EA prior to the respective Competition.