This is the full text of FIFA's 10/27/2017 press release.

The FIFA Interactive World Cup has evolved rapidly since its inception in 2004 and has set the standard for competitive football played on EA SPORTS™ FIFA, giving virtual footballers the chance to express themselves at the highest level of competition. 

As eSports continues to evolve, FIFA and partners EA SPORTS™ are committed to taking the biggest global tournament for the EA SPORTS FIFA-series to the next level. It’s time to say goodbye to the FIWC as we expand into a new format for competitive football gaming better suited to the massive potential and demands of eSports. It’s time to take the FIWC and all those involved with it to the next level. Welcome on the Road to the FIFA eWorld Cup.

Road to the FIFA eWorld Cup begins 3 November

The Road to the FIFA eWorld Cup encompasses the new FIFA 18 Global Series, the official qualification tournament for the main event -The FIFA eWorld Cup 18 Grand Final, where the dreams of millions of FIFA players become the reality of one champion. The Global series kicks-off on 3 November 2017.

The EA SPORTS FIFA 18 Global Series (November 2017 to July 2018) 

The FIFA Global Series is the yearlong qualification tour for the FIFA eWorld Cup 18 Grand Final. Competitors will qualify based on FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) Champions Weekend League online performance and at blockbuster live qualifying events throughout the year.

Through the FIFA 18 Global Series, EA and FIFA will identify the top-ranked 128 competitors (64 competitors representing PlayStation®4 and 64 competitors representing Xbox One) to advance to the EA SPORTS FIFA 18 Global Series Playoffs. The Playoffs, in turn, lead to the final stop on the Global Series Tour – the FIFA eWorld Cup Grand Final 18 - where one champion will be crowned, lives transformed and dreams suddenly realised.

Global Series (qualification categories) 

*FIFA Ultimate Team Champions Cups: These mass entry tournaments kickoff first through the popular FUT Champions mode - The EA Game mode that makes FIFA a full-time passion.The top competitors will qualify for two major live tournaments – held in January and April of 2018.

*FIFA eClub World Cup: Piloted in 2017, the club tournament is back but so much bigger. If you are on a FIFA team, you want to be in it!

*Official League Qualifying Competitions: Established professional leagues with a vision of the future will be the first to host FIFA tournaments that will feed into qualification for the FIFA eWorld Cup

*Licensed Qualifying Competitions: Organisations passionate about EA SPORTS FIFA will activate on-site qualifiers across the world from Abu Dhabi to Zagreb!

The FIFA eWorld Cup (August 2018)
The showpiece. The main event. The place where stars are made and careers launched. The FIFA eWorld Cup Grand Final will ensure a celebration of EA SPORTS FIFA at the highest level. Thirty-two of the world’s best players, all of whom will have survived the global series, will compete to crown the undisputed king of FIFA at the Grand Final.