Konami and FIFA have entered into an agreement for the FIFAe World Cup featuring football with teams spanning 18 countries. The collaboration between Konami and FIFA follows last year’s split between FIFA and longtime partner, video game publisher EA. That partnership was dissolved after EA reportedly rejected FIFA’s licensing demands. FIFA President Gianni Infantino was then quoted as saying FIFA would compete head-to-head with EA by launching its own game. Since then EA has gone on to launch its EA Sports FC franchise with the debut of FC 24. Meanwhile, FIFA has yet to launch its title but this agreement with Konami could begin its new path forward.
Press Release:
- “The objective of this collaboration is to further boost the joy of the global football community through esports. By allowing players to represent their nations through dedicated competitions, this initiative will take the connection with the community to a new level.”
- “The FIFAe World Cup™ will begin qualifying around the world on Thursday, October 10. To engage with the entire community, two competitions will be held — one on console and one on mobile — each crowning a FIFAe World Champion. More information is available on FIFA.GG and on the Konami website.”
- “In the inaugural year of this collaboration, 18 nations have been invited to be represented at the final events. Nations are selected based on different factors such as player base and previous performances of competitors from the respective countries. Everyone who plays eFootball™ is welcome to engage, so please update to the latest version of the game and challenge the world to an exciting global match.”
List of participating nations:
- Argentina
- Brazil
- Costa Rica
- England
- France
- India
- Indonesia
- Japan
- Korea Republic
- Malaysia
- Morocco
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Portugal
- Saudi Arabia
- Spain
- Thailand
- Türkiye
Those not residing in a nation listed above can still participate by selecting one of the listed nations as their favorite. Rounds one and two are already underway, both happening from 09:00 – 17/10/2024 08:59 (UTC). The third round will span three days, from 10/18 – 10/21, 06:00-02:00 (UTC). The first three rounds will be held on PlayStation 4 and 5 along with iOS and Android platforms while the World Cup has yet to announce its platform support. Basic participant requirements are listed below and more information regarding matches can be found here.
- “In this inaugural tournament, participants representing 18 countries around the world will battle for supremacy. The matches will be played 2v2 for the Console Category and 1v1 for the Mobile Category.”
- “In order to participate in the FIFAe World Cup 2024™, users will have to pass a qualifier phase comprised 3 Rounds of in-game Events.”
- “In addition, all participating teams will have their scored goals tallied throughout the event. In the end, a pool of rewards will be distributed among all participants, based on the final position of their team.”
- “Even if you are from a nationality other than the applicable countries, you can still join the FIFAe World Cup 2024™ by choosing your favourite country. Feel the energy of an international competition!”