The fusion of blockchain technology and sports gaming is taking another leap forward as an international football federation has teamed up with a renowned crypto-based gaming studio to develop a new football game for mobile users. The anticipation among football fans is high for this blockchain-powered soccer game set to be released next year.
The game, titled FIFA Rivals, is a free-to-play mobile football game scheduled to debut in the summer of 2025. Developed by the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) in collaboration with the crypto gaming firm, FIFA Rivals will be accessible to users of Apple’s iOS and Android smartphones. The game will be powered by the Mythos blockchain technology and the Polkadot network, similar to the NFL Rivals game developed by Mythical Games and launched in April 2023.
FIFA Rivals will allow mobile gamers to manage their football clubs and compete against other players in real-time arcade gameplay. The CEO of Mythical Games, John Linden, predicts that the game has the potential to attract over 100 million gamers, citing the success of the NFL Rivals game which garnered more than 6 million sign-ups from a narrower audience.
This collaboration between FIFA and Mythical Games is part of a growing trend of partnerships between cryptocurrency players and sporting associations, aiming to enhance fan experiences through interactive and entertaining games. Crypto-based games offer the advantage of allowing gamers to own in-game assets and monetize them, adding a new dimension to the gaming experience.
The success of Mythical Games in the blockchain gaming space, particularly with the game Blankos Block Party, which has seen at least 3 million monthly transactions on the Polkadot network, underscores the potential for blockchain technology in the gaming industry. The partnership between FIFA and Mythical Games was made possible with the support of the Mythos Foundation, established in October 2022 to nurture new gamers and developers within the Mythical Games ecosystem.
As the FIFA World Cup attracted around 5 billion viewers in 2022 and the NFL playoffs garnered an estimated 500 million viewers, the potential for FIFA Rivals to engage a wide audience is substantial. The integration of blockchain technology with sports gaming represents an exciting development in the gaming industry, offering fans a new way to interact with their favorite sports through innovative and immersive gameplay experiences.
