FIFA Rivals, the first official video game from the world football governing body since FIFA 23, will be released soon. The mobile title will have to live up to the president’s bold words.
There was a lot of speculation after FIFA and EA SPORTS announced their split at the end of FIFA 23: Would the world soccer association develop a competitor to EA SPORTS FC with 2K Games – or even with its old rival Konami?
These speculations were fueled from within the organization. More specifically, from the very top: FIFA President Gianni Infantino had given free rein to his grandiose style on several occasions. The new game would be “the best, of course, like everything we do.”
The result will be judged on June 12, when FIFA Rivals is released worldwide. Instead of a AAA title with a well-known developer, the world governing body wants to conquer the mobile market. Not the most authentic simulation possible, but an arcade-style fun kick for smartphones.
Soccer with lightning and flames
The trailer is fast, colorful, and loud. Lightning surrounds the ball after a shot, and flames surround a player performing a particularly spectacular trick. Speaking of which, the skill moves are not realistic. In the video, someone does a cartwheel over their opponent, among other things.
FIFA Rivals could go beyond virtual soccer: crypto integration and Web3 embedding are the keywords. However, whether and how exactly these early plans from developer Mythical Games will actually be implemented will only become clear after release.
The mobile title will be free-to-play for iOS and Android – that’s one thing it already has over FC 25 from its former partner EA SPORTS. Further direct comparisons are unlikely to be possible. The soccer games from the world governing body and the video game giant are too different.
