FIFA and Konami Unite for a New Era in eSports with FIFA World Cup Competition on eFootball

The gaming environment is witnessing a profound change as FIFA seeks new avenues following its split with Electronic Arts. Since the announcement of their separation in May 2022, FIFA has been actively searching for a suitable collaborator to help produce video games under its brand. Meanwhile, EA has embraced the transition by establishing the EA Sports FC brand, which continues to thrive independently. However, a pivotal development has emerged, signaling a competitive shift in the gaming arena between EA Sports and its rival, eFootball.

This morning, audiences in Europe were introduced to exciting news: Konami and FIFA have formalized a partnership aimed at constructing the FIFA World Cup eSports competition on the eFootball platform. This bold move sends a clear message to their previous associate, Electronic Arts, underscoring a vital step toward a substantial future collaboration.

The FIFAe World Cup qualifiers kick off today, October 10, and all players utilizing the most recent edition of eFootball (4.1.0) are encouraged to join in, provided they are located in the qualifying nations. These include Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, the UK, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Morocco, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, and Saudi Arabia, Spain, Thailand, and Turkey.

This agreement also serves to quell speculations regarding the potential development of a football game by Take-Two under the FIFA name. In addition, the partnership is set to be a long-term endeavor, as indicated by a statement on Konami's official website that refers to a multi-year contract. This could potentially lay the groundwork for a new iteration of the FIFA Pro Evolution Soccer series.