Key Takeaways
- FIFA is partnering with Konami on the present edition of the FIFAe World Cup.
- eFootball will probably be used for the primary time ever within the competition.
- FIFA is seemingly working by itself competitor to EA FC.
Football’s governing body FIFA has partnered with Konami for the upcoming FIFAe World Cup. Though the tournament has been played on Electronic Arts’ FIFA because the tournament’s inception 20 years ago, the high-profile split between FIFA and EA in 2022 has resulted in FIFA partnering with Konami’s eFootball for this yr’s event.
There will probably be two FIFAe World Cup events this yr, one for console and one for mobile. Unlike EA FC, eFootball’s esports matches on console are often played two-versus-two, while mobile matches are one-versus-one. That is the format the FIFAe World Cup will use, though qualifying for everybody is completed through one-versus-one matches. The qualifying for this event begins today with more information available on Konami’s website.
eFootball and eFootball esports are definitely not as popular as the sport’s competitor EA FC, however the game is not quite dead within the water, either. eFootball has a dedicated core fan base that is increased because the game went free-to-play. In January, Konami reported that eFootball has been downloaded over 700 million times.
A Latest Era?
“At Konami, we have now continued to tackle challenges in the event of football simulation and esports,” says Koji Kobayashi, senior executive at Konami. “We’re more than happy to find a way to contribute to the promotion of eFootball in a brand new dimension through this collaboration with FIFAe.”
FIFA’s chief business officer echoed this sentiment: “We’re incredibly excited to affix forces with Konami. This collaboration aligns perfectly with our mission to advertise football globally and to offer a platform for players to showcase their skills.”
FIFA and EA broke off their decades-long licensing agreement in 2022, reportedly because FIFA was attempting to double EA’s licensing fee while also disallowing the developer from using FIFA’s likeness for products aside from its iconic sports simulation games. Ultimately, the 2 former partners couldn’t come to an agreement.
As for eFootball, there was a period through the opening decade of this century when Pro Evolution Soccer was genuinely seen because the superior option and competed with FIFA commercially. Nevertheless, the series fell behind its rival over the following decade and now, there really is not much of a contest as EA FC is much more popular and successful.