UFL is causing a stir. After the trailers for the new video game dropped recently, gamers are excited to find out if the football simulator can genuinely rival FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer.
The makers of UFL haven't not cut any corners, not only is the trailer a glossy and impressive glimpse into a franchise which promises to be just as fun as existing titles (but different in many way), but they've got some huge names behind it.
Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is the face of the title, while Manchester City maestro Kevin De Bruyne and Chelsea goal machine Romelu Lukaku are also on board.
But what exactly is UFL? How is it different from FIFA? When is it out? How much does it cost? Here come some answers...
What is UFL?
UFL is a soon to be released football video game, similar to EA's FIFA and Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer series (now called eFootball). It is being developed and published by Strikerz Inc.
The game promises to be free to play, with gamers simply downloading the software onto their consoles and facing one another in online competitions and friendlies. It will also be "fair to play", meaning players will only be drawn against others of a similar skill level. So no getting tonked by some absolute machine from their basement in the Philippines!
According to reports, online divisions will be drawn and seasons will take place over a 12 month period. At the end of that year, a single player will be crowned the ultimate UFL champion.
Strikerz CEO Eugene Nashilov spoke about UFL's vision in a recent presentation.
“We at Strikerz Inc have great respect for everything that has been done over the years in football video gaming. But at the same time, we feel that the community has been longing for a change. Our goal at UFL is to create a game that is immune to the issues that are blocking the genre’s progress. We’ve paid a lot of attention and respect to these partnerships because in our case they’re not just for presentation."
The fact UFL is free to play has many gamers and football fans excited, with the price of buying new version of FIFA every year no small consideration. While eFootball has gone free to play, new editions of FIFA retain a £64.99 RRP on PS5 and XBox Series X/S.
Based on the trailer (below), UFL appears to be similar to FIFA's 'Ultimate Team' mode, in which gamers build their own team of stars, as opposed to managing an existing football club. You can create your own club, design its kit and stadium, and manage every little detail yourself, including the stars you want in your squad.
UFL is set to be released on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S.
It is unknown whether the game will also be made available for Nintendo, PC and other gamers after the initial launch. FIFA and PES are available on these platforms, but only legacy versions of FIFA are offered on the Switch.
Does UFL have official clubs and players?
Like FIFA, UFL has a licensing agreement with FIFPro, allowing it to use the names and likeness of over 5,000 real-world players – still some way short of FIFA's numbers.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Oleksandr Zinchenko have all been confirmed as ambassadors for the game.
So far, eight teams have signed up as partners: West Ham, Celtic, Rangers, Sporting Lisbon, Besiktas, Borussia Monchengladbach, Monaco and Shakhtar Donetsk. Those teams' official kits can be used in the game.
When will UFL be released?
The release date is not yet confirmed, but the UFL trailer says it will launch "when it's ready" – possibly a dig at other gaming companies which release games that aren't yet finished and still have a lot of bugs. It is expected to drop in the coming months.
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