For years FIFA has stood atop of the mountain as king of the soccer games, but a new challenger has stepped onto the field and is ready to fight for the crown. The game in question comes from Strikerz Inc. who unveiled their new upcoming release UFL on the opening night of Gamescom 2021.
Despite being relatively unknown, Strikerz Inc. confirmed it has been developing UFL for five years which has a line-up of over “5000 licensed footballers” at their disposal, something that has been an issue for rivals of FIFA for years. The soccer simulation game is said to be set up as a worldwide online soccer league. Players will be able to create their own soccer team to compete against other players from across the globe and work their way up to the top of the UFL league ladder.
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Unfortunately, the trailer does not offer a great deal of insight into the new game and its gameplay or features. However, UFL will be free to play and has been developed in conjunction with Unreal Engine, something many gamers have become familiar with over the years. From the initial trailer however, the game looks visually stunning as the lighting, stadium, and players look spot on and can certainly rival FIFA’s graphics.
The trailer also indicates Strikerz Inc. have been working with InStat, a leading sports performance analysis. InStat will provide UFL with updated statistics for each and every player suggesting we may see regular updates as opposed to a yearly release like FIFA. The studio has also partnered with FIFPRO, the world’s biggest representative organization for over 65,000 professional footballers, something West Ham United highlighted in their press release announcing their partnership with the game.
One of the most appealing elements of UFL is the emphasis Strikerz Inc. have made on how there will be no pay-to-win elements, something FIFA has been highly criticized of over the years. Instead, it's are focusing on a skilled-based and fair experience for users who just want to play a soccer game without having to spend hundreds and thousands to get to the top and have the best team.
Strikerz Inc. have said UFL has been made by passionate gamers and soccer fans who know exactly what fans want from a soccer simulation games. CEO Eugene Nashilov said in a press release, “we want to reinvent football video gaming from the ground up, offering players around the world a revolutionary, exciting, and fair-to-play experience. We can’t wait to share more about the game.” Whether they can rival FIFA is yet to be seen, but from everything that has been released so far, it seems they are heading in the right direction.
UFL is currently in development.
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