VBL Grand Final by bevestor: DullenMIKE is the 10th German eFootball champion!

DullenMIKE is the 2022 German eFootball champion, lifting the bevestor Virtual Bundesliga (VBL) title and earning prize money of €40,000.

At the conclusion of the overall 10th season of the competition, organised by the DFL, ESL and EA Sports, Freiburg player DullenMIKE beat defending champion RBLZ_Umut on aggregate (1-0 in the Xbox Series and 4-0 on the PS5), avenging his defeat in last season's final and earning a place in the eFootball World Cup play-offs. All of the matches were played on EA SPORTS FIFA 22.

Andreas Heyden, EVP Digital Innovations DFL Group, said: "On behalf of the DFL, I would like to congratulate DullenMIKE on winning the VBL in its 10th anniversary season. The level has been growing constantly over recent years and to win this title is an outstanding achievement!

"The VBL Grand Final by bevestor, with the players and fans all inside the arena, was a fitting conclusion to a successful season. Particular thanks go to all of the participants, the clubs and the partners of the Virtual Bundesliga, above all bevestor, EA Sports and ESL Gaming."

A total of 32 finalists took part in an offline event in Cologne to contend the VBL Grand Final, having qualified through the VBL Club Championship by bevestor or the play-offs of the VBL Open. The total prize pool was €100,000.

The DFL, in cooperation with EA SPORTS, was the first ever professional football league to launch an eSport competition in 2012 and the VBL remains, to this day, the only eSport competition which is directly integrated into EA SPORTS FIFA which is affiliated with a professional football league.

The growing popularity of the VBL as well as the increased relevance of eSport and the DFL's focus on football simulation games led, in 2018, to the decision to introduce the VBL Club Championship involving the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 clubs as a complement to the individual VBL Open competition.

Furthermore, since 2020 the DFL has been cooperating with the worldwide largest eSports company ESL. With their expertise in the building and expansion of ecosystems linked to digital sports, the DFL would like to expand and professionalise the VBL even further.

The VBL championship plate. - Virtual Bundesliga

Virtual Bundesliga to be included as additional competition in DFL statutes

In May 2022, the DFL Members Assembly decided that the Virtual Bundesliga (VBL) is to be included as an additional competition in the league statues of the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga. From the 2023-24 season, the aim is for all clubs in the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 to take part in the Virtual Bundesliga Club Championship. The essential conditions for this will be set out in the Licensing Regulations, based on the findings from recent seasons. Further information regarding the DFL Members Assembly decision can be found here.