UFL is one of the most anticipated game projects, as the Cristiano Ronaldo-backed game promises to deliver a fun and fair-to-play gaming experience, that can be a breath of fresh air for the industry.

After two successful open betas, and an investment round that took place in December of 2023, where $40 million where raised for the development of the game, UFL has finally revealed its official release date.

UFL Release Date

UFL will officially launch on 12 September 2024, with the game being available for the Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 platforms.

Before the game's launch players will have the chance to purchase pre-order packs, which include an exclusive customization set, and also seven days of early access.

This offers players the chance to start playing the game on Wednesday, 5 September, allowing players to start griding the game and assembling their squad, which will give them a considerable advantage over the players that only start playing seven days later.

Strikerz Inc. CEO, Eugene Nashilov, had the following to say about the title launch:

"We’re thrilled to launch UFL on September 12. We can’t wait for gamers around the world to enjoy it and we thank them for the invaluable feedback they’ve provided us during two phases of Open Beta testing."

"The launch of UFL is a landmark moment in our journey, however, we equally realise that this is just the beginning. We’ll be constantly & regularly updating the UFL gaming experience for all the fans around the world.’"

We Finally Have Some Competition

The UFL launch also means that EA Sports FC now has some competition in the market, which is something fans have been begging for, and after an underwhelming Ultimate Team deep dive, UFL has a great chance of rivaling FC 25.

UFL will be released almost two weeks before FC 25, giving them a lot of time to captivate players and showcase why they are the best football video game in the market.

It's ingenuous to think that UFL can simply become a more popular game than FC 25 in the blink of an eye, as the EA FC player base is huge and very loyal, even if a majority of it is always complaining about the game.

However, this is still a golden opportunity for UFL to reach a large audience, showcase its product, and perhaps even convert some EA FC fans. If the gameplay is good and the game modes are entertaining, there is no reason for the UFL launch not to be a big success.

Becoming a true challenger to EA FC will take time, but UFL has a chance to show they are a legitimate player in the market and an alternative for those who aren't happy with the EA Sports product.

Will you be playing UFL once it's released? Let us know in the comments below!

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Po víkendové betě jsou autoři UFL připraveni odhalit datum vydání. Se svou bezplatnou fotbalovou hrou se hodlají postavit EA Sports FC na konzolích PlayStation 5 a Xbox Series X/S. Během prvního beta víkendu si zahrálo více než 1,5 milionu hráčů.

Ambiciózní UFL s Ronaldem jako hlavním ambasadorem má být na současné generaci konzolí spuštěno 12. září/septembra letošního roku. Tvrdí to portál Insider Gaming. Má to mít přímo od společnosti Strikerz Inc. Ta ale nic oficiálně neoznámila. Možná server porušil embargo. Mimochodem, EA Sports FC 25 vyjde 27. 9.

Hlavním cílem UFL je zachovat fair-to-play a upřednostnit dovednosti před utrácením. Autoři tak reagují na monetizační systém v Ultimate Teamu v sérii FIFA / EA Sports FC od Electronic Arts.

„Jsme fotbaloví fanoušci a vášniví hráči – fotbalové videohry hrajeme už léta a přesně víme, co lidé chtějí v simulaci vidět. Chceme od základu přetvořit fotbalové videohry a nabídnout hráčům po celém světě revoluční, vzrušující a poctivý herní zážitek,“ tvrdí Eugene Nashilov, generální ředitel Strikerz Inc.

Ve studiu jsou spokojeni se změnami, které za poslední měsíce provedli. Od první víkendové bety aplikovali více než 80 procent vylepšení. Bohužel na hřišti už to tolik vidět není. Hráči si stěžují na divnou hratelnost a celkově špatnou kvalitu. Tak uvidíme, jak bude UFL vypadat za měsíc.

O víkendu proběhne další veřejná beta nové fotbalové hry UFL, která se hodlá postavit zavedeným sériím EA Sports FC a eFootball na konzolích PlayStation 5 a Xbox Series X/S.

Veřejné testování nadcházejícího bezplatného fotbalu bude probíhat od 2. do 4. 8. tohoto roku na zmíněných konzolích. Od předešlé bety, která se konala na začátku června, měli vývojáři provést velké změny a aplikovat více než 80 procent vylepšení.

„Je potěšující si uvědomit, že jsme naladěni na stejnou vlnu jako naše komunita,“ sdělil generální ředitel Strikerz. Ten se těší, až si hráči vyzkoušejí změny a sdělí svůj názor. O betu očekává velký zájem, do té předešlé se zapojilo více než 1,3 milionu hráčů. Odehrálo více než 5,5 milionu zápasů.

Součástí nadcházející bety bude hlavní online režim, stejně tak offline zápasy. Potěšující je zahrnutí hraní napříč platformami, takzvaný cross-play. Oproti staršímu testu dojde na zcela nové mechaniky a animační prvky. Přepracován je systém klubové reputace, systém perků a systém skinů karet.

Datum vydání plné verze oznámeno nebylo. UFL míří výhradně na PlayStation 5 a Xbox Series X/S. O PC verzi se dříve mluvilo, ale oficiálně zmíněna není.

Anyone who plays sports games will be aware of the few options for variety, with basketball dominated by 2K and football games dominated by EA Sports FC (formerly known as FIFA). Still, UFL looks to break up the latter’s monopoly.

In recent times, despite Konami's best efforts in developing eFootball, FC has been the leading contender in this space. However, this year, the introduction of UFL could mix things up for fans. The heavily rumored 2K FIFA game is supposedly arriving this year, so the whole landscape could be about to change, and hopefully for the better.

Strikerz Inc. is developing the game, its first to date. The studio hopes it can bring something fresh to a landscape that has grown increasingly stale. As part of the launch, from June 7 to 9th, people can check out the game’s open beta, which I’ve already sunk some time into and seen the potential on offer.

This is an early build of the game, but there’s plenty on offer to check out and play. The design is very clean and showcased from the moment the game’s fired up, initially asking the player to name their club, choose a captain, and then formation (which can be changed later).

I chose 91-rated Kevin De Bruyne, but there were four options, including cover star and investor Cristiano Ronaldo and Roberto Firmino. After picking your captain and formation, you will be given a squad of players, most of which are very average, and then it’s time to jump into some games.

It’s hard not to compare the gameplay to FC 24, the current benchmark for football games, and the differences are immediately quite noticeable, especially when compared to Ultimate Team in its current form, where most players used are 90+ rated.

Moment to moment, the ball feels floatier, and you can feel your player’s deficiencies. If a player doesn’t have the stats, a pass is more likely to be wayward, and trying to sprint constantly is a surefire way to lose the ball. With UFL, it’s essential to choose your moments when to play that killer ball or when to press sprint, otherwise, possession will change constantly.

Taking on an established series like FC is no easy feat, especially with how deep the many systems in place are, UFL has nowhere near that level of detail, but this can also be a plus for any newcomers to football games – it’s undeniable UFL will be much less daunting.

Right now, there is only one game mode, which is equivalent to Ultimate Team. However, the mantra here is to try and avoid a pay-to-win model. It means the only way to earn new players is by spending the rewards earned playing games and unlocking more rewards in the Team Pass. Here, you can grab new kits, accessories, bonuses, and more.

There are currently only seven pages in the Team Pass, so it’s safe to assume this will update over time, it did cost some in-game currency to unlock, but you’re given enough to do this when first playing the game – whether this is maintained throughout remains to be seen.

One of the most significant sticking points for many fans is licenses and authenticity. Fortunately, there are currently over 4,000 actual players in the game, which will inevitably grow, but there are still some huge omissions.

Many players from the recently invincible Leverkusen side, like Frimpong and Boniface, are missing, while the ratings are currently all over the place. Luckily, this is a straightforward fix, but for example, budding Brighton striker Ferguson is 86-rated, the same rating as Liverpool’s Alisson and only one rating less than Virgil van Dijk.

Ronaldo and Messi both remain 91s as well, which, despite their legacy, is still very generous considering they’re both in the twilights of their respective careers. Some of the positions for players could also do with some finessing. Chelsea Winger Sterling is currently listed as a CAM, which is common among many of the game’s players. With realism in mind, it’s also worth mentioning how every player is incredibly two-footed according to their card, with even Jarrod Bowen, a very left-footed player, able to use both feet effectively.

Once you’ve begun building a team, you also have the opportunity to unlock new backgrounds for your cards, meaning you can customize them. These customizations are based on the card’s position and rating. However, some players like Ronaldo can be equipped with dynamic images that change while on the menus.

The long-wanted feature of upgrading certain cards is also included here, so once you’ve got enough XP built up on a specific player, you can level up some of their attributes – one of the first things I did was add some defensive positioning to my defenders until I can get better ones in.

If you’re a frequent player of FC 24, then you’ll know just how genuinely poor the menus can be. Sometimes, they’re slow, unresponsive, or just don’t work. Admittedly, the offering here is considerably more limited, but it’s slick and concise, never slowing down or causing me to wait. There were a few technical issues over a few hours of gameplay, and I had one hard crash. Yet, for an incomplete game, it runs very well and looks excellent in Unreal Engine 5, even if it lacks some extra pitch and kit details.

UFL is a free-to-play game void of egregious microtransactions or nefarious ways to snatch players’ money. Right now, it lacks many modes and gameplay options associated with FC 24, but it’s still very early days, and competition can only be a good thing.

It’s been a long time since the existing monopoly has been threatened. Although this Beta is more of a showcase of the gameplay on offer, it’s different enough to suggest UFL has potential, even if it isn’t the ‘FC 24 Killer’ some fans are crying out for – although, who knows what it can grow into. For now, we know the game is set to launch later this year, and it’s without a doubt one to watch.