UFL: Cristiano Ronaldo’s free-to-play console football game postpones its release

It seems that we will have to wait a little longer to discover the final version of ‘UFL‘, which is presented as a rival to giants such as ‘EA Sports FC’ and ‘eFootball’ among football video games. However, the developer, Strikerz Inc. anticipates a shift in the release date. free title for the so-called “living room consoles” (PS5/Xbox Series) was scheduled to debut on September 12, that is, in a few days. Now, the new release date takes us until December 5, 2024. Except for those who purchase a pre-order package, who will be able to take advantage of early access to the game starting November 28.

Cristiano Ronaldo one of its main investors

According to sources close to the studio, the Portuguese star has contributed the equivalent of $40 million to the development since the project’s inception in 2016. The title is based on Epic Games’ Unreal Engine, an extremely scalable enginewhich allows to simplify development and adapt it to various platformsThe intention is to offer game modes and aspects already known in other formats, but introducing some distinctive touch to the equation.

Regarding licenses, Strikerz has signed agreements with FIFProto obtain the rights to more than 65,000 professional players both historical and current, including Cristiano Ronaldo, De Bruyne, Zinchenko and Lukaku. Clubs such as Sporting CP, Shakhtar Donetsk, Borussia Mönchengladbach, West Ham United, Monaco, Beşiktaş, Celtic and Rangers have also announced their intention to collaborate with ‘UFL’.

More time to polish the game

In a statement, Strikerz Inc. thanks the more than 2 million players for participating in the beta versions and highlights that the delay is a necessary step to “polish the game” and offer an even better experience. You can read the full note:

“We have conducted two Open Betas and with the Common Test in its final stages, over 2 million participants have played UFL. Your participation, feedback and positive reviews were extremely valuable to us. It was not an easy decision, but after analyzing the feedback and a large amount of game data, we decided to reschedule the launch.

We would like to explain why we made this decision and what it means. While we were able to launch the game as planned, we believe that taking a little more time will allow us to deliver the best experience possible. We understand that there is no recipe for a perfect football game, but it is essential for us to ensure that the delivery meets our high standards and expectations. The new launch date for UFL is December 5, 2024.”

Service game

It is important to highlight that The title is free and is designed as a “Service Game”this means that at ‘UFL’ they want to create an environment No “pay to win” optionsplacing player skills at the heart of the experience, which will see regular, major updates once it hits the market. Instead, it will offer an in-game store for purchases, extensive customization options (from kits to stadiums), and a dedicated data processing system that the developers say will ensure maximum network code stability and a smooth gameplay experience. It will be available on December 5, 2024 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.