FIFA has announced that its next football game will be published in partnership with Netflix and developed by up-to-date studio Delphi Interactive.
After the end of cooperation with EA in 2022, FIFA announced it was working on a portfolio of Web3 games before the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, but since then it has been quite still. However, according to its CEO Andy Kleinman, Delphi has been working for the past 30 months to “continue the legacy of one of my favorite video games of all time, FIFA.”
Delphi, seemingly founded in 2023, has yet to release a game, but… describes themselves as the “architects” of 007 First Light and “uncompromising on quality”.
While we haven’t seen any screenshots yet, let alone gameplay, the press release says the game will be “quick to learn, exciting to master, and built for anyone to jump into,” and will be playable – solo or online – without a controller because “all you need is Netflix and your phone.”
“Football is the most important thing in the world. As longtime FIFA fans, we are honored to help usher in a brave next generation and reimagine the future of the franchise. Our mission is simple: to make FIFA the most fun, accessible and global soccer game ever created,” said Casper Daugaard, founder and CEO of Delphi Interactive. Kleinman called it “one of those pinch-yourself moments” and hailed the project as “a historic exclusive partnership to bring the next generation of FIFA soccer simulation titles to market.”
“FIFA is very excited to be working with Netflix Games and Delphi Interactive ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino. “This important collaboration is a key milestone in FIFA’s commitment to innovation in the soccer gaming space, which has aspirations to reach billions of soccer fans of all ages around the world and redefine the pure concept of simulation gaming. Our reimagined game truly marks the dawn of a new era of digital soccer. It will be available for free to Netflix subscribers and marks a major historic step for FIFA.”
Partnering with Netflix and allowing soccer fans to get involved “at the touch of a button” looks like it will make the sports simulation more accessible to the casual audience. However, Netflix emphasizes that the game will be available “only on selected TVs in certain countries.”
Just like Netflix subscribers can do Currently play only in USA, Canada, UK, Spain, Mexico, France, Italy, Poland, Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Ireland, Finland, Germany, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, leaving many soccer-loving countries without access. And while Netflix’s CEO says the game will be playable “for free,” it’s not entirely clear whether that access will be paid for with certain subscription tiers.
FIFA 23 is here the most successful game in the serieseven though EA then withdrew from online stores only one year senior.
Vikki Blake is an IGN reporter, critic, columnist and consultant with over 15 years of experience working with some of the world’s largest gaming sites and publications. She is also a Guardian, a Spartan, a Silent Hillian, a Legend, and an eternally High Chaos. Find her on Blue Sky.
