Key Highlights:
- A brand-new FIFA game has been announced and it will not be made or published by EA Sports.
- Netflix Games and Delphi Interactive are developing the first post-EA FIFA title, targeting a 2026 release.
- The game will be free for Netflix subscribers and is expected to launch around the FIFA World Cup 2026.
For the first time in nearly three decades, a FIFA-branded football game is being developed without EA Sports’ involvement. Netflix has officially announced a new FIFA title, marking a clean break from the era that ended with FIFA 23 and the franchise’s rebrand to EA Sports FC.
The upcoming game is currently untitled, but it is confirmed to be developed and published by Delphi Interactive in partnership with Netflix Games. It will be available exclusively to Netflix subscribers and will launch on mobile devices first, with limited smart TV support planned in select regions. On TV, players will use their phones as controllers, continuing Netflix’s existing approach to gaming on the platform.
What makes this announcement particularly notable is the timing. The game is targeting a 2026 release, lining up neatly with the FIFA World Cup 2026, which kicks off on June 11th and will be hosted across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. From a strategic standpoint, it is hard to imagine Netflix and FIFA missing that window, especially given the global attention the tournament commands.
Delphi Interactive may not be a household name yet, but it is not an unknown quantity either. The California-based studio is also credited as a co-developer on IO Interactive’s upcoming James Bond game, 007 First Light, which is set to release in March 2026. That project alone suggests Netflix is backing this FIFA reboot with more than just a licensing cheque.
Crucially, this will be the first FIFA game ever not published by EA Sports. Netflix is listed as the publisher, which strongly suggests the streaming giant is absorbing the cost of the FIFA licence. That licence was widely reported to be the sticking point in EA’s split from FIFA, with annual fees previously sitting around $150 million and FIFA allegedly pushing for far more in renegotiations.
In terms of what players can expect, Netflix and Delphi Interactive are positioning the game as a more approachable football experience. Both single-player and multiplayer modes are confirmed, and the stated goal is to create something fast to learn but satisfying to master. From my point of view, that wording feels deliberate. This is unlikely to be a direct simulation rival to EA Sports FC out of the gate. Instead, it sounds like Netflix is aiming for accessibility first, especially given the mobile and TV-centric design.
I have covered FIFA since 1995 and even had a successful YouTube channel with over 80K subscribers devoted to it. So from my end, I see this as a good thing. I’ve said for so long that EA haven’t had a competitor in the football gaming sphere since PES (Pro Evolution Soccer) fell off. Yes, I know there’s eFootball these days, but they simply cannot compete with EA FC.
It’s crazy to think a game that’s watched by literally billions of people all around the world, only has one video game in a sense. I wouldn’t count titles like Rematch or Rocket League where football is tinkered with as serious footy games. I just hope that Netflix and co can challenge Electronic Arts financially.
Netflix executives have framed the project as a way to bring football gaming “back to its roots,” while FIFA has described it as the beginning of a new era for its digital games. Whether that ambition translates into depth and longevity remains to be seen, but the shift alone is significant. FIFA is no longer tied to a single publisher, and Netflix is clearly serious about carving out a space in games beyond casual experiments.
More details are expected to arrive closer to launch in 2026. For now, what matters is the headline: FIFA is back, EA is not involved, and Netflix is footing the bill.
Source – Netflix