United Football League (UFL) is coming, with FIFA and eFootball advised to start looking over their shoulder as a new player in the virtual gaming world prepares to compete for a slice of the prestigious simulator pie.
Offerings from EA Sports and Konami have dominated the scene in recent times, with both franchises acquiring loyal legions of followers that keep coming back for more on an annual basis.
Strikerz Inc is preparing to mix things up, with GOAL taking a look at when UFL will be released, how much it will cost to play, who the official partners are and more.
When is UFL released?
Strikerz Inc are staying quiet on an official release date for now, but they did drop an exclusive gameplay reveal trailer on January 27.
The expectation is that UFL will be lined up to compete with the latest offering from EA Sports in the autumn, with FIFA 23 likely to be released in late September/early October after all updates have been added for the start of a new season.
How much will UFL cost?
When FIFA 22 was released, initial up front costs ranged from £44.99/€49.99 on Nintendo Switch to the £89.99/$99.99 Ultimate version for PlayStation and Xbox consoles.
There have been suggestions that EA Sports will look to deliver free-to-play offerings heading forward, with eFootball (formerly Pro Evolution Soccer) having already headed down that route.
The emergence of UFL may also help to force the hand of future FIFA games, as Strikerz are delivering their product at no cost to the user.
A press release that accompanied an announcement regarding UFL’s launch read: “The game will be available for free and we will regularly add new features and updates with no mandatory payments or yearly fees.
“The game is designed to be a fair-to-play experience that implies a skill-first approach and zero pay-to-win options.”
Which consoles will UFL be out on?
For now there is no official word on which platforms UFL will be made available on, with the only information provided so far being that it will be accessible on ‘consoles’.
That catch-all term tends to mean PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Series S and Nintendo Switch, with there likely to be a PC version as well.
Who are partners of UFL and what licenses does it have?
United Football League has a deal in place with FIFPro, just like FIFA does, and is said to include over 5,000 licensed professional players.
That figure falls some way short of FIFA, which has over 17,000 on its books, but UFL is working hard to get official partners in place that could present obstacles to its rivals.
Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino, Manchester City pair Oleksandr Zinchenko and Kevin De Bruyne and Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku are on board as advertising partners, while West Ham, Monaco, Celtic, Rangers, Sporting, Besiktas, Shakhtar Donetsk and Borussia Monchengladbach have all been announced as licensed clubs.
UFL’s biggest partnership has, however, been struck with Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner now an official ambassador.
Strikerz CEO Eugene Nashilov has said of how partners will play an important role in the game’s development: “With UFL, we’re building an ecosystem unique in sports video gaming. We are planning to hold special events featuring our ambassadors and partner clubs — a hybrid of on and offline activities.”
What features will UFL have?
Unsurprisingly, several of the game modes set to be included in UFL are similar to those which figure prominently in the FIFA franchise.
The ‘Offline and Online’ mode will deliver quick play 1 vs 1, 2 vs 2 and 3 vs 3 games, much like Kick Off in FIFA.
There are also ‘Missions & Challenges’ that are sure to appeal to gamers around the world.
UFL’s ‘Flagship Mode’ bears the closest resemblance to Ultimate Team on FIFA as you build an individual club and team by acquiring players and coaches along the way.
Strikerz Inc’s take on a popular feature will, however, allow players to continue with the same club across multiple years – rather than having to restart on an annual basis, as is the case with FUT.