Konami and FIFA have revealed the terms of a collaboration agreementfor which the first will offer support with its game ‘eFootball’ (previously known as Pro Evolution Soccer) for the eSports tournament of the FIFAe World Cup. As part of the initiative, until the end of this year two tournaments will be held of the FIFAe World Cup with eFootball, one with the mobile version and another with the console version.
In the arms of his former rival
Since ending its partnership with EA, the football organization has not been able to promote a licensed video game since ‘FIFA 23’, the last in the series. But on this occasion, the football association has confirmed that it plans to enter the market in the arms of its previous rival and now competitor of ‘EA Sports FC’.
Since splitting from EA Sports, FIFA has not been associated with any video games. Although the federation has already confirmed that it has plans to launch a football simulator, it has not yet announced any concrete information in this regard.
So far, however, the announced partnership with Konami would be limited to just the eSports tournament, not a new game. The press release on Konami’s official website, however, indicates an agreement that will last several years and, therefore, it is not unlikely that it will expand into segments beyond eSports, generating a new generalist franchise, but only time will tell.
Take on the world🌍
”FIFAe World Cup 2024™” will be held in #eFootball!
In-game qualifiers ”Round 1 to Round 3″ have kicked off from today🎮📱
Head in-game and become a FIFAe Champion🏆#FeWCeFootball#FameYourGamepic.twitter.com/zBT7lWv5zq
— eFootball (@play_eFootball) October 10, 2024
Further increase community joy
“The goal of this collaboration is to further increase the joy of the global football community through esports,” Konami and FIFA say in a joint statement. “By allowing players to represent their nations through specific competitions, this initiative will take community connection to a new level.”
Koji Kobayashi, CEO of Konami, said: “At Konami, we continue to accept challenges in the development of football simulation and esports. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to FIFA for giving us this opportunity. We look forward to sharing the enthusiasm. , the excitement and joy of our players around the world through the FIFAe World Cup.”
Romy Gai, FIFA Chief Commercial Officer, added: “We are incredibly excited to join forces with Konami. This collaboration aligns perfectly with our goal of promoting football globally and providing a platform for players to showcase their capabilities.”
The playoffs begin
The tournaments will offer an opportunity for ‘eFootball’ players compete in a professional environmentwith the possibility of winning prizes and recognition in the competitive scene. This also represents an effort by Konami to revitalize interest in the title and increase its player base through eSports promotion.
FIFAe World Cup qualifiers will start today Thursday (10) to choose the best players from 18 countries who will participate in the grand final. The list of countries includes Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, England, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Morocco, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Thailand and Turkey.