FIFA is back on the video game stage – and delivers a historic debacle with “World Cup: Launch Edition.” At least that’s what Josef Erl argues in his opinion column on Heise. The game, released just in time for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada, disappoints across the board.
Erl recalls the golden era of soccer games in the 1990s, when titles like “International Soccer” and “Sensible Soccer” spoiled players. After the split between FIFA and Electronic Arts (EA) in 2023, the world governing body has now taken the license into its own hands. In the author’s view, the result is catastrophic.
The author criticizes that FIFA, under Gianni Infantino, has completely misjudged the market. After the end of the partnership with EA, Infantino grandly announced that there would soon be a multitude of great games under the FIFA banner. Instead, what is now on offer is a half-hearted product that fails to impress either in terms of gameplay or technology.
Erl accuses EA of having eliminated competition for years with exclusive licenses and of establishing a cash cow with the gambling-like “Ultimate Team.” But FIFA also maneuvered itself into a dead end with excessive licensing demands. The demanded price of one billion US dollars for four years was too high even for a publisher like EA.
The author’s conclusion: “World Cup: Launch Edition” is a disgrace for the world governing body. Instead of an innovative soccer game, fans get a product that doesn’t even come close to the glory days of the 90s. The column ends with the hope that FIFA will learn from this debacle – but the author remains skeptical.
Source: www.heise.de
