FIFA has signed an unprecedented partnership with the Japanese game developer Konami to hold the FIFAe World Cup, a tournament that will take place in 2024. The news marks an unexpected collaboration between the two institutions, which until then were rivals in the sports games sector, with Konami being responsible for eFootball, previously known as Pro Evolution Soccer (PES).
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According to the official announcement, the tournament will be held on the console and mobile versions of eFootball. The partnership promises to heat up the esports scene, especially with the participation of players from 18 countries, which highlights FIFA's focus on expanding its global reach within eSports.
eFootball: The new stage for the FIFAe World Cup
The agreement is surprising, especially after the dissolution of the long partnership between FIFA and Electronic Arts. However, the union between FIFA and Konami does not transform eFootball into the new “FIFA”, but rather into an exclusive platform for holding FIFAe tournaments.
Furthermore, eFootball joins other titles already integrated into the FIFA competition ecosystem, such as Rocket League and Football Manager. This move points to FIFA's strategy of moving away from exclusivity with EA, embracing new partners to promote global eSports events.
Konami gains ground after EA's departure
The partnership came to fruition after EA Sports chose not to renew its contract, ending a million-dollar agreement that lasted decades. EA has since rebranded its football game as EA Sports FC, and has already released two editions, the most recent titled “EA FC 25”. This left the way open for FIFA to seek new agreements in the market, and Konami emerged as the main candidate.
FIFA Business Director Romy Gai highlighted the importance of the agreement, stating that it is in line with the organization's mission to promote football and create inclusive opportunities for players around the world.
“We are extremely excited to join forces with Konami. We truly believe in an inclusive ecosystem that allows different communities to be part of FIFAe competitions” , declared Gai.
Brazil among the countries participating in the FIFAe World Cup
The tournament already has 18 countries confirmed, with Brazil being one of the highlights. The choice of participating nations was based on criteria such as the popularity of eFootball among players and performance in previous competitions. Other countries that will also be present include Argentina, Japan, France and Saudi Arabia.
The FIFAe World Cup will feature two editions: one for the console and PC version, and another dedicated to the mobile version of eFootball, both scheduled to take place by the end of 2024. To participate, players need to have the most recent version of the game installed, thus ensuring that all competitions are up to date and in compliance with global eSports standards.
Future of partnerships between FIFA and Konami
Although the current agreement focuses only on holding eSports tournaments, it is speculated that the partnership between FIFA and Konami could evolve in the future to other projects within the gaming industry. Thus, with EA's departure, FIFA is free to explore new horizons, and a possible deeper collaboration with Konami could be a way to reposition its presence in electronic games.
