Story highlights PSG eSports established in October 2016

Gaming division is counterpart to club's football operation

(CNN) At Paris Saint-Germain's training ground, players are hard at work training for their big European competition in 2017.

But this isn't in the French capital, it's in Berlin. And the players won't be facing Barcelona in the Champions League, but will play the likes of Schalke 04 and Team LDLC in the European "League of Legends" Challenger Series where teams face off in the online battle arena video game. After all, this isn't a football side -- it's an eSports team.

PSG eSports is the electronic counterpart to France's most successful soccer side of recent years. It was established in October after former League of Legends competitor Team Huma was bought out for $70,000 and rebranded under PSG's name.

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Photos: A revolution in video games Photos: A revolution in video games The sport of the future? – Welcome to the world of eSports ... Hide Caption 1 of 15 Photos: A revolution in video games The sport of the future? – Though alien to many of us, competitive gaming is a worldwide phenomenon. Hide Caption 2 of 15 Photos: A revolution in video games The sport of the future? – Top video-gamers are household names and many millions more tune in to watch bouts via online streaming network Twitch. Hide Caption 3 of 15 Photos: A revolution in video games The sport of the future? – In Korea, a "PC Bang" -- where young gamers gather to play and "train" -- can be located on almost every block. Hide Caption 4 of 15 Photos: A revolution in video games The sport of the future? – The 2015 "Call of Duty" European Championships were held at London's Royal Opera House. Hide Caption 5 of 15 Photos: A revolution in video games The sport of the future? – Many fans dress up in outlandish costumes for eSports events. Some wear the replica shirts of their favorite team, just as in conventional sports. G2 Sports founder Carlos "ocelote" Rodriguez tells CNN: "Ten years from now, people will be wearing G2 eSports jerseys." Hide Caption 6 of 15 Photos: A revolution in video games The sport of the future? – It's not just boys fueling eSports' inexorable rise. In the U.S., 28% of so-called "Esports enthusiasts" -- players who watch multiple times per month -- are female. Here, members of an all-female computer gaming team, "QWER," compete in the "Ladies Battle" League of Legends competition in Seoul in 2016. Hide Caption 7 of 15 Photos: A revolution in video games The sport of the future? – Just over half of male enthusiasts are aged between 21-30 -- curiously enough, the ages a sportsman is at his peak. "When I was a kid, I wanted to be a professional footballer player, that was my big goal in life," pro gamer Olof "Olofmeister" Kajbjer tells CNN.

Hide Caption 8 of 15 Photos: A revolution in video games The sport of the future? – As computers become ever more prevalent, eSports becomes arguably the world's first intercontinental sport. A kid in the Maldives can initiate a game against a 40-year-old in the snow-capped Russian mountains in a matter of seconds. Hide Caption 9 of 15 Photos: A revolution in video games The sport of the future? – And it's not just games like "Counterstrike," "Starcraft" and "League of Legends" that are taking off. In a curious twist, professional football teams have begun signing pro FIFA gamers. Hide Caption 10 of 15 Photos: A revolution in video games The sport of the future? – Tickets often sell out in a matter of minutes for eSport events. The chants of the gathered crowds are not dissimilar to those heard in football stadiums. Hide Caption 11 of 15 Photos: A revolution in video games The sport of the future? – But it's the online audience that's making the difference: this year's "League of Legends" championship drew nearly 30 million viewers, in line with the combined viewership of the 2014 MLB and NBA finals. Hide Caption 12 of 15 Photos: A revolution in video games The sport of the future? – "When you look at the state of the video games today and how much more processing power they have now compared to when I was playing video games, it really makes a massive difference," Formula E's ex-F1 driver Bruno Senna tells CNN. Hide Caption 13 of 15 Photos: A revolution in video games The sport of the future? – Above, eSports players compete in a 2007 Seoul tournament. Fast forward a decade and one U.S. college -- Robert Morris University -- even gives scholarships to video game players, forming the nation's first varsity eSports squad. Hide Caption 14 of 15 Photos: A revolution in video games The sport of the future? – The game is changing. Are eSports here to stay? Have your say on CNN Sport's Facebook page Hide Caption 15 of 15

The football club's Qatari owners have invested heavily since taking over in 2011, and that appears likely to be the case with its gaming venture.

"It represents a new way for Paris Saint-Germain to engage with its fans and to attract new ones in key development markets. We have big plans for the next three years," president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said of the eSports launch.

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