FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution have signed John Oliveira, known by his gamertag as JKO1707, as the club’s first official eMLS competitor. Oliveira earned his contract by excelling in the club’s open tournament last month and will represent the Revolution in the inaugural eMLS Cup at PAX East in Boston from April 5-8, 2018.

In eMLS Cup, Oliveira will compete against 18 other representatives from MLS clubs for a chance to qualify for the EA Sports FIFA 18 Global Series Playoff on the road to the FIFA eWorld Cup. For complete details on eMLS Cup, please visit MLSSoccer.com.

“We are pleased to welcome John as the club’s first eMLS competitor and are excited to have found such a talented player right in our own backyard here in Massachusetts,” Revolution President Brian Bilello said. “We always aim to put out a competitive and exciting product on the field, and now with JKO1707 representing the Revs, we’ll look to do the same on the virtual pitch at eMLS Cup.”

“I am thrilled to be representing the Revolution and to be a part of eMLS,” Oliveira said. “I’m a very competitive person and am committed to winning, and I know the club shares that goal. I want to not only be the best player in eMLS, but also the most exciting for fans to watch and cheer for.”

Oliveira, 24, joins the Revs with a passion for soccer and an impressive list of achievements in his young competitive gaming career. He brings more than 13 years of FIFA experience and started his 2017 competitive campaign by topping his group and finishing in the top-six overall at the 2017 Miami Regional. He followed up that performance with another top-six finish at the Vancouver Regional.

In his most recent tournament, Oliveira competed in the FIFA Interactive World Cup (FIWC) Regional Qualifier in Los Angeles. He advanced out of the group and finished one win shy of qualifying for the World Finals in London, but finished the tournament ranked among the top eight in EA SPORTSTM FIFA 17 in the region (North, South, and Central America).

Oliveira, who spent his early years living in Brazil, was raised in Oak Bluffs, Mass. on Martha’s Vineyard and will soon be attending the University of Massachusetts Boston. A former soccer player himself, Oliveira’s passion for the game translated from the pitch to the screen after an ankle injury, leading him to continue his pursuit of competitive soccer through FIFA.

About eMLS Cup:

The inaugural MLS Cup will take place from April 5-8, 2018 in Boston, Mass. at PAX East, the premier gaming and culture showcase. The preliminary rounds begin on Thursday and Friday, April 5 and 6 at the eMLS HQ, with knockout rounds on April 7 and the Conference Championships and eMLS Cup Final on April 8. All matches on Saturday and Sunday will take place at the PAX Arena main stage and will be livestreamed through the conference’s Twitch channel, as well as via MLS and MLSSoccer.com.

The 19 competitors will be divided into two conferences according to their affiliation – 10 clubs in the Eastern Conference and nine in the Western Conference. Competitors will select their squad of 11 starting players, seven bench players, and five reserve players. Each team must have three MLS players on the field at all times, including two players from the club they represent.

The eMLS Cup winner will win a berth in the EA SPORTS FIFA 18 Global Series Playoff on the road to the FIFA eWorld Cup. The top 32 competitors in the Global Series Playoff will advance to the FIFA eWorld Cup in August, where the winner will be crowned the undisputed FIFA 18 World Champion.

TRANSACTION: New England Revolution sign John Oliveira (JKO1707) as the club’s official eMLS competitor on March 16, 2018.

Name: John Oliveira

Gamertag: JKO1707

Position: New England Revolution eMLS Competitor

Hometown: Oak Bluffs, Mass.

Date of Birth: November 1, 1993

Nationality: United States