FIFA’s first post-EA games will be blockchain titles
FIFA has announced that the first games to use its branding following the end of its long-standing partnership with EA will be Web 3.0 blockchain titles.
Four games will be released to coincide with FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, all of which are Web 3.0 titles and use blockchain technology in some way.
According to a FIFA press release: “Gaming and esports are some of the fastest growing opportunities for FIFA as it continues to expand into new digital spaces, platforms and games that already welcome football fans.”
It adds: “The new game integrations, all designed with web 3.0 and the future of digital engagement in mind, can be played around the entire tournament and each has a unique twist on the world’s biggest football tournament.”
The first game is AI League: FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Editiondeveloped by Altered State Machine, which is a “4-on-4 casual soccer match, played between AI-controlled characters, with player input at fun and tactical moments”.
According to a separate release from Altered State Machine, the game will launch with a 10-week prediction component, with “digital and physical prizes” available to those who predict real-life matches.
Players who participate in the prediction game will then earn “four unique collectibles” that will become their AI-controlled players in the FIFA World Cup AI League.
The other is FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 in Upland Metaverse, which is a collaboration with Uplandme. Upland is a blockchain-based metaverse where players buy and sell virtual properties.
The FIFA collaboration will allow players to collect “official FIFA World Cup digital assets, including legendary video highlights from the tournament”, and travel to a virtual World Cup Lusail Stadium and Village to trade digital goods.
Finally, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 at Phygtl is a collaboration with “fan engagement mobile application” Phygtl.
The game’s description claims that “fans can augment a golden-globe soccer ball from the palm of their hand into their real-life environment, owning a limited fragment of it to attach and immortalize their hand-picked FIFA World Cup photos and video moments.”
The third game is Matchday Challenge: FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Edition. According to the press release, Matchday is a “highly engaging casual social prediction game based on football cards”.
This is, in FIFA’s words, “a digital representation of eternal fandom”.
FIFA recently split from partner EA after nearly 30 years, with FIFA 23 being the last EA Sports game to feature the FIFA branding on the title.
Next year, EA will rebrand its series as EA Sports FC, claiming it will begin “a new era in July 2023”.
However, in a strongly worded statement in May, FIFA president Gianni Infantino insisted that only games with an official license would be credible to football fans.
“I can assure you that the only authentic, real game that bears the FIFA name will be the best available for players and football fans,” he said.
“The FIFA name is the only global, original title. FIFA 23, FIFA 24, FIFA 25 and FIFA 26, and so on – the constant is the FIFA name and it will remain forever and remain THE BEST.”
In a separate statement in May, FIFA said the split from EA would allow it to launch new football video games developed with third-party studios and publishers, “providing more choice for football and gaming fans” ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
According to the football body, discussions were ongoing with “leading game publishers, media companies and investors” regarding the development of a new FIFA simulation football game for 2024, which would compete directly with EA Sports FC.
However, it also claimed that several “non-simulation” games were already in production and would launch during the third quarter of this year, the first of which was described as “a tailored gaming experience” featuring FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
Unless other surprise titles are announced before the tournament begins on November 20, it appears that FIFA was referring to the Web 3.0 titles above.
