Manchester City have reinforced their commitment to playing an active role in the esports space by sealing a new partnership with gaming company Nexon, who will become the Premier League’s official EA Sports FIFA Online gaming partner in South Korea, according to the club’s website.

The English league leaders have announced that they and their new partners have several collaborations in the pipeline, as Nexon will draft Korean players to represent the club in the new FIFA Online 4 tournaments.

Both Nexon and Manchester City also have agreements to create in-game content for fans and gamers on the platform, as well as offering Korean fans tours of the Etihad Stadium in Manchester and “variety of in-country matchday screening events”.

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Senior VP of Partnerships at City Football Group, Damian Willoughby said, “Nexon is a worldwide leader in free-to-play games that shares our commitment in providing innovative and immersive experiences for a global audience.”

“FIFA Online is one of Nexon’s most successful titles and one of the most recognised titles in Asia, boasting a passionate community of online users. Through this partnership, we look forward to engaging with FIFA online users in Korea and enhancing the game they love by developing in-game experiences and digital content.”

“We are also delighted to be extending our footprint in Korea, an important market for Manchester City, and doing so with a partner who will help us to further engage with our fans here.”

Over the last few months, City – and other top European clubs – have taken an active interest in extending their presence into Asia and also into esports. City as well as Bayern Munich have been active in growing their fan bases in the Far East by expanding their online content as well as creating schemes and competitions where fans who wouldn’t normally be able to attend matchdays in Europe are taken to games.

Clubs are also, more and more, leveraging games like FIFA. They know that their club, its players and its branding are present in the game, and they also know that there are plenty of potential fans who enjoy playing as their club.

This partnership appears to tick both of those boxes whilst also offering the club a firmer grounding in the blossoming FIFA esports sector.