The sporting integrity of the VBL Open has been called into question several times in recent years. For the upcoming season, DFL and EA SPORTS have developed some measures.
The VBL Open had been advertised in the past as “an opportunity for everyone”. Without the support of an organization or club, ambitious FC gamers were supposed to be able to play their way to the finals of the German Individual Championship via the open format. From dishwasher to millionaire – or from weekend league player to e-athlete. However, the sporting integrity of the VBL Open had come in for heavy criticism.
A no-loss glitch allowed for the organized giving away of victories, the selection of qualifiers for the VBL playoffs was not transparent – eSport reported in detail. For the 2024/25 season, the DFL is committed to improvement and, together with partner EA SPORTS, which will continue to be responsible for the in-game mode of FC 25, has designed a number of measures.
Elo system as a second ranking criterion
“Based on our knowledge and discussions with EA SPORTS, the no-loss glitch and the leaderboard are to be adjusted,” said Jörg Höflich, Head of Virtual Bundesliga, in the latest eSport Talk. In the future, it should no longer be possible to leave a match before the kick-off without conceding a defeat. Which would solve a big part of the problem.
The change to the leaderboard aims to add an additional criterion – beyond the pure win-loss statistics. EA SPORTS is to implement an Elo system similar to that of the FC Pro Open Ladder. This “calculates the relative skill level”, as the developer explained to us last year.
Consequently, the Elo should be recalculated after each game and, in the event of a tie in the wins-losses statistics, it decides which players advance to the VBL playoffs. So if you get the maximum possible 60 wins against stronger opponents, you probably have priority.
“Last-Chance-Qualifier” for four more tickets
“But that wasn’t enough for us – or for EA SPORTS,” Höflich continued. Because if more players achieve the flawless record of 60-0 than there are qualifying places available, those with a low enough Elo will not necessarily be forced out.
Instead, they will move into a ‘last-chance qualifier’. This is scheduled to take place in March 2024 and will provide four more tickets for the VBL Playoffs. “If all these topics really are going live on November 1, we are very confident that the main problems of the community have been eliminated,” says the Head of Virtual Bundesliga, who is “cautiously optimistic” about the VBL Open kick-off.