Emily Walker
The collaboration between blockchain technology and sports gaming is advancing, as a prominent international football governing body has teamed up with a leading crypto gaming studio to develop a new mobile football game.
Football fans are looking forward to a new free soccer game that incorporates blockchain, expected to launch next year.
FIFA Rivals
A new mobile football game titled FIFA Rivals will be available for free during the summer of 2025. This game is a collaborative effort between the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and a crypto gaming company.
FIFA Rivals will share similarities with the NFL Rivals game, which was created by Mythical Games and rolled out in April 2023.
The mobile soccer game will be accessible to users with Apple’s iOS and Android devices and will utilize Polkadot’s blockchain technology.
The new mobile football title will operate on the Mythos blockchain technology alongside the Polkadot network, mirroring what was done for NFL Rivals.
We’ve announced an exciting new partnership with @FIFAcom!
We will be launching @FIFARivals, an officially licensed mobile football game for iOS and Android.
Are you prepared?
pic.twitter.com/MNraVOKogM
— Mythical Games (@playmythical) November 22, 2024
Like the NFL Rivals, FIFA Rivals will also utilize the Mythos blockchain for its development.
According to Mythical Games, players will have the ability to manage their football clubs and compete against others in “real-time” arcade-style matches.
“Assemble your team, conquer your rivals, and leave your mark in this latest game,” stated Mythical Games.
Anticipated Millions of Gamers
An executive from Mythical Games anticipates that FIFA Rivals could draw in over 100 million players.
CEO John Linden pointed out that given a comparable mobile game, NFL Rivals, has captured over 6 million registrations from a more limited audience, reaching 100 million players for FIFA Rivals is feasible.
Thrilled to partner with @FIFAcom! We’re set to elevate gaming and eSports globally with this venture! We currently have over 6m players and 150m matches in NFL Rivals, and we’re aiming for 100m+ gamers and billions of games! @FIFARivals
— John Linden (@johnwastaken) November 22, 2024
To give some perspective, the FIFA World Cup in 2022 had an estimated viewership of 5 billion, while the NFL playoffs garnered around 500 million viewers last year.
Blockchain and Sports Collaboration
The partnership between FIFA and Mythical Games is just one of many alliances forming between crypto firms and sports entities, aiming to enhance fan engagement and enjoyment.
This collaboration fits into a broader trend where sports organizations are increasingly working with blockchain gaming developers to offer fans more interactive and engaging experiences.
One key benefit of blockchain-based games is that players can “own in-game assets and earn from them.”
The crypto studio initially found success with Blankos Block Party, a non-fungible token game that transitioned to Polkadot and has facilitated over 3 million transactions monthly.
The realization of the new mobile football game was made possible through the Mythos Foundation, established in October 2022, which aimed to support gamers and developers within the Mythical Games network.
Image credit: FIFA Rivals, chart from TradingView