Fifa is set to make its long-awaited return to video games in 2026, years after its split with developer EA Sports.
Unlike previous releases from major game studios, Netflix has secured the rights to the upcoming football title. The new game will be developed by Delphi Interactive, a studio yet to release a game, and will be available to play online via the Netflix app on iOS and Android, or on select TVs using a smartphone as a controller.
Electronic Arts ran the Fifa franchise for 30 years until 2023, when licensing issues prompted it to rename the series EA Sports FC. The series had around 150 mln players worldwide.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino called the Netflix partnership «a historic step» and said the reimagined game marks «a new era of digital football». The game will be free for Netflix members and launch ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Delphi Interactive, based in California, is also collaborating with IO Interactive on the upcoming James Bond game, 007: First Light. CEO Casper Daugaard said the team, «lifelong Fifa fans», aims to make the new game «the most fun, approachable, and global football game ever created».
