decrypt.co
FIFA and game studio Mythical Games are teaming up to create a new mobile arcade-style soccer game called FIFA Rivals, the companies announced Friday.
The free-to-play game, which will be available on iOS and Android devices, will allow players to build and manage their own soccer clubs while competing against others in real-time matches. It’s due out in summer 2025, according to a teaser trailer shared with Decrypt.
Mythical Games is the studio behind NFL Rivals, another licensed free-to-play mobile sports game that is built around optional NFTs. Available on iOS and Android since April 2023, NFL Rivals lets players collect and trade NFT player cards minted on the Mythos blockchain, built with Polkadot technology. The game has seen over 5 million downloads to date, Mythical said.
FIFA Rivals will similarly utilize the Mythos chain and let players collect and trade professional soccer stars, both past and present. In a statement, Mythical co-founder and CEO John Linden also said that the game will offer esports competitions for top players.
“We are excited to partner with FIFA and leverage our expertise to create an unparalleled football gaming experience,” said Linden, in a statement. “Our goal is to replicate our success with the previous Rivals game and set new benchmarks in the Web3 gaming sector.”
This isn’t FIFA’s first step into Web3. In 2022, the soccer governing body teamed with four blockchain startups to release games and collectibles apps around the FIFA World Cup Qatar competition. Meanwhile, the FIFA Collect NFT collectibles platform is built on Algorand as well as Ethereum scaling network Polygon.
Editor’s note: This article was written with the assistance of AI. Edited and fact-checked by Andrew Hayward.