Dear EA Community Team,
<p>I am writing to confirm whether our planned esports event can comply with EA’s Community Tournament Guidelines.</p>
<p>Our company is a professional event management organization, and we sometimes support community groups, local facilities, or companies in hosting esports events. In this case, the event organizer’s purpose is not commercial — the event is held for community engagement and enjoyment, not for profit.</p>
<p>Please note the following points about the event structure:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>No entry fees from participants</strong><br>
Players will not be charged any participation or entry fees.</li>
<li><strong>Organizer-funded event</strong><br>
The event organizer (e.g., a community group or local company) will fund the costs of hosting the event. Our company, as an esports event management provider, may receive a service fee from the organizer for planning and operating the event, but this funding does not come from participants.</li>
<li><strong>Non-commercial focus of the event</strong><br>
Although our company is a for-profit business, the event itself is not intended as a large-scale or profit-making venture. Its purpose is purely to provide a fun and engaging community experience.</li>
</ul>
<p>Based on the above, could you kindly confirm if using an EA game title under these conditions would be permitted within your Community Tournament Guidelines?</p>
<p>We want to ensure full compliance with EA’s rules while continuing to promote positive community experiences around your games.</p>
<p>Thank you very much for your time and guidance.</p>
These guidelines apply unless EA has published a game-specific version.
EA appreciates the passion that our players and community members have for our games. Members of our communities frequently ask us if they may run a non-commercial tournament as a way to enjoy our games. EA does not object to your use of EA video games in your community tournament, provided you comply with the following guidelines. It is your responsibility (and the responsibility of any sponsors or other third parties involved with your tournament) to comply with all applicable laws and regulations for your tournament.
Scale: Community tournaments are just that, smaller-scale events focused on coming together over a shared passion, not a money-making or large-scale venture and not merely an advertisement or promotion for a product or brand. EA understands that the operation of your tournament may cost money. However, commercial activity associated with the tournament (e.g., entry fees, sponsorship, advertisements, branding, marketing, etc.) should reflect the purpose and scope of a community event where tournament play is the sole focus.
Prizing: Prize pools must be set and published before your tournament starts. The total cash (or cash value) for your prize pool for all tournaments in a calendar year may not exceed $10,000 USD (or its equivalent in local currency).
Tournament Fees: You may charge an entry fee of no more than $20 USD (or its equivalent in local currency) for each participant. In any case, the entry fee must be solely to help offset the cost of organizing your tournament.
Streaming: While we do not object to the live streaming of your tournament, you may not, and may not permit anyone, to broadcast your tournament on non-streaming platforms (e.g., TV, paid digital platforms, etc.).
Prohibited Sponsors & Partners: Your tournament may not be sponsored by companies that sell or promote any products or services related to the following:
- Pornography or any sexually explicit materials, contraceptive products or services, or online dating products or services;
- Alcohol;
- Tobacco, cigarettes or similar products;
- Other restricted drugs or drug paraphernalia;
- Firearms, explosives, or other weapons;
- Gambling/wagering/lottery products or services, including sports betting and daily fantasy sites or similar services;
- Political ads or otherwise promoting a political agenda;
- Illegal products or services, or content that otherwise violates any applicable laws in the territories;
- Involving content that is obscene, slanderous, misleading, inaccurate, or discriminatory;
- Pharmaceutical products or services, dietary supplements, or medical devices;
- High fat, salt, or sugar food and drinks;
- Energy drinks;
- Cryptocurrency companies and/or websites promoting/relating to the trade of cryptocurrency;
- Products or services that compete with EA’s business (e.g., games, online game sites, or competing esports events);
- Anything that is detrimental to EA’s business (e.g., hacking, gold services, account selling, coin selling); and
- Anything that is inconsistent with the ESRB, PEGI, OFLC, USK, or applicable rating(s) of the game in the given territory.
You may reference sponsors in connection with your tournament (e.g., using language such as “supported by”) – but you cannot include the name of a sponsor in the title of your tournament (e.g., you may not call your tournament “Acme Company [EA game title] Invitational”).
No EA Affiliation or Use of EA Intellectual Property: You may not use EA artwork, logos or trademarks (including game logo treatments, the name Electronic Arts, EA, EA SPORTS or the logos or names of our licensors) to promote your tournament or on your tournament website, and you may not suggest that your tournament or tournament website is endorsed or approved by or affiliated with EA in any way. However, you may state that your tournament is run using a specific EA game title.You must include the following statement in a prominent place on your tournament website and tournament materials: “This tournament is not affiliated with or sponsored by Electronic Arts Inc. or its licensors.”
Third-Party Rights: Our games may contain third-party licensed images, music and other content, and EA has not expressly cleared any of that third-party content for your use. You should seek your own legal advice regarding the rights you may have to make use of those elements, including whether you will need to reach out to our third-party licensors to obtain permission to use those elements.
Territory Restriction: You may not operate a tournament in the Republic of Türkiye (Turkey).
Compliance with Our Terms: You and your tournament, and any users of our games in connection with your tournament, must comply with the EA User Agreement (including its Rules of Conduct) and any applicable EA rules or end-user terms.
Reservation of Rights: EA reserves the right to take appropriate action against any tournament organizer that does not follow these rules and principles at its discretion.
Thank you for your interest and we hope you continue to enjoy our games.
