Since FIFA (International Football Association) and EA signed an agreement in 2022...Ending a nearly 30-year partnershipAfterwards, EA successfully transformed its football empire intoEA Sports FCHowever, FIFA has yet to release a "traditional" football simulation game that can compete with it.
But earlier by NetflixAnnouncementThis confirms that FIFA's first football simulation game in the "post-EA era" will be exclusively published by Netflix Games. Described as a "reimagined FIFA football simulation game," it will be developed by Delphi Interactive and is expected to launch in 2026, coinciding with the 2026 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Simulation game? Or party game? Using your phone as a joystick is key.
Although Netflix referred to it as a "Simulation Game" in its press release, based on the details released so far, this new game may be quite different from the hardcore gameplay of games like FIFA 23 or EA FC 24 that players are familiar with.
The biggest difference lies in the control method. This new FIFA game will be designed to use a smartphone as the controller.
Delphi Interactive CEO Caspar Daugaard stated that the game's design philosophy is "to make it easy for anyone, anywhere, to pick up and immediately feel the magic of football." This means the game mechanics may be significantly simplified to suit touchscreen controls, perhaps leaning more towards a party game style rather than a traditional simulator emphasizing precise dribbling and tactical execution.
FIFA's next step: Avoiding EA's dominance?
Since parting ways with EA, FIFA has boasted about finding new partners to develop a "brand new FIFA simulation football masterpiece," with rumors even suggesting a collaboration with 2K Games, but none of these have materialized. In recent years, FIFA has primarily licensed games such as Mythical Games' "FIFA Rivals" or ENVER's "FIFA Heroes," which are mostly arcade-style or blockchain-based smaller games.
This collaboration with Netflix suggests that FIFA may have realized that directly competing with EA FC on console and PC platforms would be too difficult, and is instead seeking a different approach.
Netflix's gaming strategy takes a turn: abandoning AAA titles and embracing interactive fun.
For Netflix, this game also reflects its gaming division.Strategic shift after 2025After closing its own AAA studios and canceling several large projects, Netflix is now focusing more on developing "party games" and "film and television adaptations".
Delphi Interactive, a relatively new studio (who previously worked on IO Interactive's "007 First Light"), is clearly tasked with leveraging FIFA's brand halo to provide Netflix subscribers with a low-barrier, highly interactive football game.
