FIFA releases new Web3 NFT games in time for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™

GOOOOAAAALLLL!

The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ is right around the corner and the heat is on!

Besides the many controversial stories surrounding the mammoth event, from the human rights violations claims, to the billions of dollars being pumped into the event — the game must go on!

The first whistle is in 3 days in sunny Qatar. Fans are all set and gearing up to show off their patriotism for their beloved country, or cheer for the next best thing.

When FIFA and EA Sports parted ways earlier this year, fans were disappointed, including my partner who spends many sleepless nights in front of the Play Station playing FIFA 23. After decades of collaborations, FIFA 23 is the last title to be released by this somewhat dynamic duo.

FIFA launches Web3 games despite ending relationship with EA Sports over venturing to Web3 games

Despite the news, FIFA have now announced that they will be releasing a series of NFT games to celebrate the World Cup. The news has come with mixed reviews from fans and crypto experts amidst the recent scams and negative attention surrounding NFTs.

Read about the FTX collapse and other crypto market news here.

The news is a head scratching affair, seeing as the reason why EA and FIFA terminated their relationship was because EA wanted to venture into Web3 games.

“This is a hugely exciting group of partnerships that we’ve entered into as we embrace a new, digitally-native football fan and engage with them in the spaces that we know they are already active within,” FIFA chief business officer Romy Gai said.

As FIFA forges forward and looks to a prosperous future, let’s briefly take a look at the upcoming Web3 games they have created in readiness for the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.

UplandMe

Upland is the largest virtual property strategy game mapped to the real world. You can build property, earn real world value, and have fun on this metaverse. Its UPX currency is only in-game and cannot be traded, but can be converted to cash while playing.

Moreover, NFTs are a key feature in the Upland game, with over 3 million NFTs sold so far.

The Upland and FIFA collaboration will see official FIFA NFTs, outdoor décor, community challenges, and amazing highlights from all 32 national teams participating in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

In my opinion, you could expect to build your own fan-based replica of a stadium, create player jerseys (NFTs), participate in World Cup championships to earn UPX coins and trade the NFTs.

For World Cup fans, expect some legendary moments throughout the history of the World Cup to be golden nuggets and a collector’s dream.

Sign-ups are ongoing, but it officially launches on the first day of the World Cup, 30^th November 2022.

Phygtl

Purely mobile, Phygtl takes the concept of a fandom to new dimensions, giving immersive experiences and rewarding missions within the ecosystem.

The FIFA variation will merge VR experiences where players can augment a golden football from the palm of their hands to play with, and possibly own as an NFT. Built for die-hard soccer fans, players can create a fandom community of their favorite soccer players.

I would categorize this as Fantasy Football but for NFTs.

Altered State Machine — AI League

The end of the FIFA game series could be replaced by the Altered State Machine — AI League. This is an actual football video game with a 4v4 football mini game.

Players put their team of 4 to play against AI controlled characters. You don’t actually get to play as one of the characters, but as a team manager, setting unique gameplays for your team.

Stadiums from different parts of the world act as the arenas for the gameplay. As the team manager, you collect various characters, also NFTs, and battle your way to the top of the leader boards.

Earn XP to level up your team and unlock special character traits, player jerseys and more.

Matchday Challenge

Last but not least, is the Matchday Challenge.

A sports gambling concept with NFTs.

According to the Matchday Challenge website, you get to build a squad or team of FIFA players of your choosing, and treat the characters like NFTs.

Matchday Challenge creators claim that the game is suitable for everyone, including children. Nonetheless, there is an age restriction barrier for the gambling portion of the game which also requires an entry fee to get access.

You can invite friends to predict the right score of any of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ games and climb up the ranks.

A great family game especially if you plan on watching the matches with friends, family and loved ones.

“As we continue to build our gaming strategy long into the future, it’s certain that web 3.0 will have an important role to play, and this marks the start of our journey.”

All of the gaming opportunities complement the newly launched FIFA+ Playzone and FIFA+ Collect resources, and more launches are planned in the future.

How can I make money on this?

The collectible NFTs from the list of games above are the best way to earn money from FIFAs crossover to Web3.

Collectible NFTs like Pikachu from Pokémon, but then, you have Ronaldo and Messi NFTs.

Big soccer names and brands spell expensive mints and trades in the near future.

Will FIFA also consider expanding these games into their own metaverse?

Will they include the Women’s World Cup or perhaps, collaborate with UEFA Champions League or Europa, and others?

Avid soccer fans can only hope.

In Conclusion

Soccer remains the most popular sport in the world with over 5 billion fans. This past time has bonded and divided many households, but remains a past time and a national sport for many countries.

Similarly, the FIFA games series with EA sports was around for 29 years! Generations have grown up playing up the FIFA games. Good news is EA Sports have rebranded the series to EA Sports FC. Fingers crossed, EA sports don’t make any major changes to the triple A game.

The new games from FIFA are promising, but fall behind the series with EA sports. Additionally, the new FIFA games are built with the assumption that their audience is familiar with NFTs and blockchain games. Which is knowledge the average person does not have.

Integrating blockchain tech into their new games seems rushed, perhaps due to the World Cup games, yet, promising. Only time will tell.

Meanwhile, FIFA is keeping the game name and is looking for a new developer for the series.

If you’re a soccer fan, check out the games on this list and share your thoughts in the comments or tweet us here.