Psyonix / Adidas
The next edition of the FifaE World Cup esports tournament will be contested using Psyonix’s vehicular-based soccer game Rocket League.
Previous iterations of the competition, which was first held in 2004 as the Fifa Interactive World Cup (FIWC), have been powered by EA Sports’ FIFA series.
However, since Fifa’s high-profile split with EA in 2022, world soccer’s governing body does not have an official soccer simulation to use for its flagship esports event, meaning it has looked for an alternative solution.
Rocket League is somewhat analogous to soccer in that it involves teams of up to four rocket-powered cars attempting to score a goal with an oversized ball
Fifa’s national team championship will see 16 countries compete in a three-on-three format, with teams comprising three players and one substitute.
Qualification is determined on the size of a country’s player base and historic performances in competitive tournaments, with participating nations able to host their own qualification competitions to select their squads.
“The FIFAe World Cup featuring Rocket League marks a new era for FifaE, providing a groundbreaking platform for Fifa’s member associations to compete on one of the most relevant esports titles,” said Christian Volk, director of eFootball and gaming at Fifa.
“This milestone partnership highlights our commitment to evolve our football esports ecosystem and continue to build the biggest stages for all communities to fame their game.”
Fifa and EA Sports ended their hugely successful three-decade partnership after failing to agree new financial terms. It was understood that EA considered Fifa’s proposed licensing terms too restrictive, while Fifa is believed to have wanted to double its licensing fee of US$1 billion.
The publishing giant has since rebranded its title as ‘EA FC’, while Fifa has launched a slew of online and mobile titles but has indicated its desire to return to the simulation market. Reports last month suggested a deal with publisher 2K Sports was in the works, with a game set to be launched in time for the men’s 2026 Fifa World Cup in North America and potentially as early this year.
Since the split, EA has also refreshed its esports efforts. It operates officially licensed competitions for the Premier League, Major League Soccer (MLS) and Uefa Euro 2024, while it has also created its own FC Pro 24 World Championship circuit.
Fifa’s split with EA Sports was a huge surprise given the former received significant revenues and marketing benefits for intellectual property (IP) that delivered very little. With gaming and esports an increasingly important channel for engaging younger fans and EA FC being so influential, the long-term impact of not being part of that ecosystem could be hugely damaging.
Nonetheless, the decision to go with Rocket League is a shrewd one that also demonstrates the freedom that Fifa now has outside of its agreement with EA.
Since its launch in 2015, Rocket League has become one of the world’s most popular esports titles, with both ESL and Major League Gaming (MLG) operating tournaments, while Psyonix has its own Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS).
Several soccer clubs, including Premier League champions Manchester City, have professional Rocket League players on their books, while Psyonix, which was acquired by Epic Games in 2019, has partnered with several major sports organisations.
With a vast player base, huge popularity on streaming platforms like Twitch, and a highly mature esports ecosystem, Fifa will have plenty of new opportunities to pursue – especially if Psyonix can promote the partnership in game.
With the rumoured 2K collaboration seemingly on the horizon, Fifa’s post-EA gaming strategy is starting to become more coherent – even if it has left hundreds of millions of dollars on the table.
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