The FIFA brand appears to be gearing up for a major comeback while rumors continue to circulate about EA FC 27 and a potential open-world mode. A brand-new official FIFA game is currently in development at Netflix, and that project could shift the football gaming landscape that Electronic Arts has largely controlled since the franchise split from FIFA roughly three years ago to become EA Sports FC.
At the end of 2025, Netflix Games announced an officially licensed FIFA title. Development is being led by Delphi Interactive, a studio tasked with reimagining the franchise now that it is no longer tied to Electronic Arts. Even with competition from Konami's eFootball and the free-to-play UFL, EA Sports has remained the dominant force in the football game market, though that balance could change in the coming months.
On February 2, it was revealed that Julien Merceron had been recruited by Delphi Interactive and Refactor Games for the new FIFA project. Merceron previously worked at Ubisoft, later joined Eidos Interactive, and contributed to the development of the Luminous Engine in Japan. He also played a key role at Konami as one of the architects of the Fox Engine, which powered several recent Metal Gear Solid titles and was used for eFootball. His expertise could prove crucial for the upcoming FIFA release.
The title is currently scheduled to launch alongside the 2026 World Cup. It is also expected to be playable on TVs via Netflix, with smartphones potentially serving as controllers for subscribers. Fans tracking both sides of the split will likely wonder whether that timing and platform approach could put pressure on EA FC 27 before the next World Cup cycle fully arrives.
