In its first licensed game since its separation from EA, FIFA delivers everything you can’t stand

By
Thomas
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Do microtransactions and blockchain sound good to you? No? Then you probably won’t be happy with FIFA Rivals.

The world football association has unveiled the first FIFA-branded video game since the headline-making split from EA: FIFA Rivals aims to captivate football fans in front of the screen.

But when you look at the first information about the game, some of you might think: Uff… We’ll summarize what’s already known.

The starting lineup: microtransactions, blockchain, mobile

FIFA Rivals is being developed by the studio Mythical Games. The studio has previously released titles such as Nitro Nation Worldtour, NFL Rivals, Blankos and Pudgy Party. Do the names sound familiar to you? That’s probably because they are.

FIFA Rivals will also be released only for Android and iOS. What’s more, the game appears to rely heavily on microtransactions. We’ll put two and two together and predict that you’ll be able to improve your squad with your wallet instead of hard training, just like FC Bayern has been doing for years (just kidding, dear FCB fans!)

Last but not least, the microtransactions are based on the proprietary blockchain Mythosthat the development studio operates on its own. As you can see, everything that is frowned upon by gaming fans and has been criticized in the past, even in the days of EA, is here.

The simulation stays on the bench

Also in terms of gameplay, you shouldn’t expect complex ball physics and other simulation-heavy features. At least Mythical itself speaks of an arcade experience on the official website as part of the announcement, so football fans should expect entertaining kicks rather than in-depth matches.

You can line up and train your team, though, and compete against other players. There will also be a marketplace where you can offer your golden boys for sale. FIFA Rivals is due to be released at some point in 2025, though no specific date has been announced yet.

That’s all we know about FIFA Rivals so far. But the first information should be enough for you to form your own opinion of the title. So, of course, our question now is: What do you think? Does this sound like a game you’ll check out as soon as it comes out? Or do you immediately give a wide berth to microtransactions, blockchain and the like?