Opening clash with BVB: FC Bayern eSports kick off the new season | OneFootball

On October 16, 2025, the starting signal for the new season of the Virtual Bundesliga (VBL) Club Championship by WOW will be given – and FC Bayern Esports is right in the middle of it. The 2025/26 season brings numerous innovations: For the first time, matches will be played exclusively in the 1v1 mode, and a tournament system with five so-called showdowns will replace the previous league format.

35 clubs will compete in online preliminaries and offline knockout phases across Germany for points in the overall ranking. The top eight teams will secure a direct ticket to the Club Championship Final on March 7/8, 2026, in Hamburg, while places nine to 24 will have their last chance to qualify through the playoffs.

A total prize pool of 87,500 euros is up for grabs – the VBL has never been so highly endowed.

Kane and Olise as virtual "Power Items"

As in the previous season, this time the games will be played in the "Ultimate Team" mode of EA SPORTS FC 26. A special highlight is the VBL Power Items: Two real professionals from each club receive virtual cards with an overall strength of 99.

For FC Bayern Esports, Harry Kane and Michael Olise will represent the club on the virtual pitch this season. This is intended to make the identity of the record champion palpable in the digital realm as well.

The successful duo Kayacik and Kücükgünar back in action

Photo: FC Bayern

At the controllers, FC Bayern relies on proven quality: Furkan "FurkyPlayz" Kayacik and Koray "Kkoray_" Kücükgünar are once again starting as a duo for the record champion.

Kayacik transferred from SV Wehen Wiesbaden to Munich in September 2024 and led the team to first place in the South-East Division in his debut season. In addition, he regularly excites fans as a content creator for EA Sports FC on his social media channels.

His teammate Kücükgünar demonstrated individual class at the VBL Grand Final 2025, narrowly missing out in the semifinals in a penalty shootout against the eventual champion Levy Finn Rieck. The 24-year-old brings experience from stints at FC St. Pauli and VfL Bochum – and now aims to win the title with FC Bayern.

Opening thriller: Bayern Esports faces BVB

The season kicks off with a classic: On October 16, starting at 6 PM, FC Bayern Esports will face Borussia Dortmund, Dynamo Dresden, SC Paderborn, and Werder Bremen. Five days later, on October 21, matches against Holstein Kiel and VfL Bochum will follow.

All matches will be broadcast live and free on FC Bayern's Twitch channel.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.