Quick take:
- The four games allow players to watch AI teams play football, purchase digital World Cup assets, predict the results of World Cup matches and more.
- FIFA has parted ways with Electronic Arts and will continue to develop games with a different studio.
- A digital replica of Lusail Stadium in Doha allows users to buy digital football scarves.
In an expansion of its Web3 strategy, FIFA today announced that it will be releasing four NFT games in celebration of this year’s World Cup, held in Qatar from Nov 20.
The first game is AI League: FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Edition, developed in partnership with Altered State Machine. It is a 4-on-4 casual football game, played between AI-controlled characters, with player input. At launch, players can predict the real-world FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 matches where they can climb the leaderboard and win digital and physical prizes.
Up next, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 in the Upland Metaverse is developed by metaverse real estate platform, Upland. Players can official FIFA World Cup digital assets, including legendary video highlights of the tournament”, and travel to a virtual replica of World Cup Lusail Stadium and Village to shop for digital items such as football scarves.
Another prediction game called Matchday Challenge is also on the list, and is based on football cards. Lastly, there is the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 on Phygtl, a fan engagement mobile app in which “fans can augment a golden-globe-football from the palm of their hands into their real-life environment,” according to a press release.
This news comes after EA Sports parted ways with the football governing body after 30 years as FIFA demanded $1 billion in licensing fees. FIFA president Gianni Infantino published a statement in May saying that there will be more games carrying the FIFA name and that the football governing body will continue to develop games with third-party studios and publishers.
“I can assure you that the only authentic, real game that has the FIFA name will be the best one available for gamers and football fans,” Infantino wrote. “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.”
Next year, EA will rebrand its FIFA series as EA Sports FC, claiming it will begin “a new era in July 2023”.
According to FIFA, there were ongoing discussions with “leading game publishers, media companies and investors” in developing a new FIFA simulation football game for 2024 to rival EA Sports FC.
In July, FIFA filed a Web3 trademark application for FIFA 2026, covering virtual goods and services such as digital currency and virtual clothing.
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