European virtual reality operator Esports Virtual Arenas (EVA) has concluded the inaugural season of its EVA Pro League and EVA Summit, marking a milestone for VR esports.
Launched in April 2026, the EVA Pro League brought together eight major European esports organisations (G2 Esports, Team Vitality, Team Heretics, SK Gaming, GIANTX, Shifters, Solary, and OG Esports) across a six-month, 56-match schedule offering over €100,000 in total prize money. The restructured European competitive pipeline operates across three tiers: local venue leagues, the 16-team EVA Challenger League, and the Pro League. Connecting all three tiers, the newly established EVA Summit replaced the traditional Coupe de France, allowing grassroots regional teams to advance through open brackets and face tier-one professional clubs.
Speaking exclusively to The Esports Radar, Mehdi Fassi Fihri, VP of Esports at EVA, reflected on the league’s operational performance, audience crossover with traditional esports, and strategic priorities for 2027.
Also read:
- SEAGF confirms 13 esports medal events for 34th SEA Games in Malaysia
- FISSURE CEO acknowledges prize debt, targets Q1 2027 repayments
- CS2 player Techno becomes face of Coca-Cola campaign in Mongolia
French organisation Solary secured the first-ever EVA Pro League championship title and €15,000 in prize money after finishing top of the regular season standings with 36 points, ahead of G2 Esports, OG Esports, and Shifters. Meanwhile, OG Esports claimed the inaugural EVA Summit title on 25 October at EVA Paris-Est, defeating Shifters 3-0 in the grand final.
Evaluating the inaugural season, Fassi Fihri confirmed that EVA achieved its primary strategic objectives: proving the viability of a professional VR league with established esports brands, demonstrating strong engagement among traditional esports fans, and successfully linking grassroots players with professional clubs through the Summit format. Detailed metrics, however, remain undisclosed.
“Our live events, especially the Summit final at EVA Paris-Est, had hundreds of fans in the venue with flags, chanting for their favourite teams. VR esports is a physical sport, and it’s spectacular to watch in person,” Fassi Fihri told The Esports Radar. “Supporters of Solary, Shifters, SK or G2 followed their clubs into VR without hesitation, which tells us our discipline has a natural place in the wider esports ecosystem. Where we can still do better is the spectator view for online viewers: we want to make EVA more accessible and understandable for anybody watching the stream, to help them feel the in-room energy and the complexity of our game, that’s a key area of work for us.”
The completion of the inaugural season follows a major financial expansion for the French technology firm, which raised over €35m in a funding round led by Paris-based private equity firm RAISE Invest to expand its network across Europe. Operating more than 70 franchised 500m² arenas across 11 countries, EVA recently expanded its proprietary games software with the launch of EVA Karting GP.
Looking ahead, EVA will conclude its 2026 calendar with the Challenger League Last Chance Tournament on 29 November to determine promotion and relegation slots. The EVA Pro League, which in 2026 was sponsored by poker and betting platform Winamax, will return in 2027 with an adjusted format and an expanded tournament calendar. Fassi Fihri told The Esports Radar that 2027 priorities will focus on increasing live arena events, upgrading online broadcast infrastructure, and strengthening commercial bridges with the broader traditional esports ecosystem.
