Featured Image Credit: Netflix
For three decades, FIFA was the home of football for gamers. The iconic series took us footie fanatics through the Rooney T90s era, the Messi vs Ronaldo to-and-fro, and the Ultimate Team arc, right until EA Sports FC took over.
The FIFA license, which portrays an official partnership with the footballing governing body, was pulled from under EA's feet three years ago, spawning a number of rival football games.
Now, the FIFA series has come under Netflix's control, as the streaming service's latest foray into the gaming world is a World Cup-themed football game.
But the World Cup Launch Edition has been immediately slammed by fans after being sold a prayer.
Netflix's gaming division has long been stuck between a rock and a hard place, with the subscription service porting classics like Red Dead Redemption into the palm of your hands, at the expense of high-quality graphics.
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The mobile-oriented Game Pass rival was - and still could be - set for a major overhaul in the coming year with the streaming platform's ongoing tug-of-war to acquire Warner Bros. finally breaking away from its current format to a console-backed pass boasting the likes of Hogwarts Legacy.
Yet when Netflix announced it had acquired the license for FIFA, fans were spun into a frenzy, expecting a huge football title that would finally rival EA.
World Cup Launch Edition was officially unveiled on June 5, with the exclusive title putting players into the 48-team football that will punch its own hole in the summer of celebration.
Made for mobile, it supports up to four players and can be played on smart TVs with the scan of a QR code, offering co-op fun as we enjoyed as kids.
But immediately after its reveal, long-time FIFA fans were aghast with its graphics and mechanics, as in-game players mis-kicked the ball frequently, and the AI team members' movement was almost completely static in their formation - more like Chess than football.
El tan esperado nuevo FIFA de Netflix ha sido anunciado hoy, se llama FIFA Word Cup Launch Edition, se lanzará el 11 de Junio, y tiene una pinta maravillosa 😂 pic.twitter.com/CCbvlT2MUi
— Showbiz #LosBrujeros 🧙♂️ (@ShowbizGG) June 5, 2026
One preview player said, "I tried out the FIFA on Netflix a bit. It's not just the graphics that are outdated... look at this AI."
Another added, "It's already working, and it's even uglier than eFootball was when it launched."
The game does deserve leniency, as we've never had a mobile title like it, marking a big step forward from the likes of Jumpers For Goalposts and New Star Soccer.
But for fans hoping to get the real World Cup experience, it's an own goal for Netflix.
It looks like EA's chokehold on the football game genre will continue to be immovable, especially with FC 27 going open-world.
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