FIFA has partnered with Roblox to bring experiences in the metaverse to football fans. While this is another indication of the interest in virtual worlds, we’ll see that it doesn’t necessarily rhyme with “blockchain” and Web3″.
FIFA lands in Roblox’s metaverse
After announcing a non-fungible token (NFT) platform, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) is accelerating its digital shift by turning to the metaverse. Indeed, the famous football institution unveiled a partnership with Roblox last week:
⚽ FIFA and @Roblox today announced a new ground-breaking partnership that will offer the Roblox community, as well as football fans around the world, free-to-play access to FIFA World – a virtual environment that celebrates the power of football.
– FIFA.com (@FIFAcom) October 12, 2022
The game, launched in 2003, allows players to create their own content to share with the world. FIFA has now entered this world through what it calls FIFA World. Through football-themed mini-games, fans will be able to play in this environment to earn various rewards.
With an eye on the upcoming calendar, FIFA World will be adapting its content for the World Cup in Qatar later this year, as well as for the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand next year.
Pedri, Barcelona’s Spanish international and partner in the project, commented on the news:
“It’s great to be able to play in the World Cup.
It’s incredibly exciting to see FIFA and Roblox come together, and I can’t wait to be a part of FIFA World as it continues to evolve! The football fans I see in the stands every week love to play and it’s great to bring the FIFA World Cup to them in the digital space and interact with them directly in our Roblox world. “
A metaverse without blockchain
Roblox is a concrete example showing that “metaverse” does not necessarily mean “blockchain” and not necessarily “Web3” either.
Indeed, although it is possible to sell one’s creations on the platform for a currency called ROBUX, this requires a paid subscription. Moreover, this currency can only be exchanged for dollars from 100,000 units, against a rate decided by Roblox.
It is therefore a Web2 version of the metaverse, where the rules of the game remain highly centralised. Nevertheless, this partnership with FIFA is part of the current dynamic, where famous companies and institutions are paying more and more attention to their digital presence with their audience.
