KONAMI eSports Academy Achieves Record-High Success in Joint Tryouts! Applications for April 2027 and Scholarship Program Now Open!

Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. is pleased to announce that four students have successfully passed the 'Joint Tryouts,' a gateway to professional e-sports teams conducted by the KONAMI eSports Academy. The academy leverages Konami's long-standing expertise and network in the gaming industry to nurture young talent aiming for careers in the e-sports sector. Starting today, we have begun accepting applications for the April 2027 intake and have launched a scholarship program. Please visit our official website for details. The 2025 'Joint Tryouts' involved six teams, with primary screenings in February 2026 and final screenings in March. As a result, four teams—DetonatioN FocusMe, IGZIST, FENNEL, and VAMOS—have accepted students as trainees. This year's tryouts saw success not only for e-sports players but also for students recognized for their strengths outside of gameplay. Cross, who was accepted by FENNEL, will work in the 'Back Office' department to support team operations. Udler, accepted by VAMOS, will work as a creator using UEFN (Unreal Editor For Fortnite). We believe that identifying potential beyond professional players is a significant achievement in broadening the career paths for e-sports students. The tryouts now include 'Streamer' and 'Specialist' categories alongside the traditional 'Player' category to expand opportunities for joining e-sports teams, talent agencies, or streaming platforms. The application period for the April 2027 intake (Phase I) is from June 1, 2026, to July 29, 2026. The capacity is 50 students for a three-year term starting April 2027. The scholarship program supports students with outstanding achievements in FORTNITE who aim to become world-class professional players, offering partial or full tuition waivers. Both new and transfer students are eligible.