Combining one of many greatest sports activities licenses with one of many strongest launches of a blockchain recreation in 2025 to this point, Legendary Video games’ FIFA Rivals has introduced over a million cell downloads.
So the proper alternative to ask CEO John Linden some questions concerning the recreation, the response of gamers to a few of its extra stunning options, and what’s subsequent.
What’s the early response been to FIFA Rivals?
John Linden: The early response has been wonderful. It’s already develop into one of many top-performing web3 video games by way of lively customers. We’ve seen over one million gamers leap in, with hundreds participating each day in on-chain exercise. What’s most fun is that between the sport itself and culturally resonant partnerships just like the one we’ve with adidas, it’s a really mainstream crowd.
The sport feels extra NFT-focused than NFL Rivals. Is that by design?
 Sure, primarily, FIFA Rivals is constructed on most of the learnings from NFL Rivals, however we additionally wished to push the boundaries additional right here. We had a chance to check deeper integration of digital possession mechanics proper out of the gate, given FIFA’s international enchantment and our expectations on the secondary market it might command.
It’s nonetheless free-to-play at its core, however we made a acutely aware effort to present onchain belongings extra presence within the moment-to-moment gameplay and development. So yeah, extra NFT-focused by design, however nonetheless very a lot balanced and accessible.
Have you ever seen a lot crossover between NFL Rivals and FIFA Rivals gamers?
We’re beginning to see it, and that’s thrilling. One in every of our large long-term objectives at Legendary is interoperability — each by way of identification and worth. We’ve acquired gamers who minimize their enamel in NFL Rivals and are actually moving into FIFA, and we’re taking a look at methods to make that transition really feel extra seamless, even rewarding. The flexibility to maneuver worth throughout video games within the type of tokens or standing is a path we’re very dedicated to exploring.
We’re additionally seeing this play out in an fascinating method geographically, with gamers in international locations the place the NFL isn’t represented closely, now dicing into NFL Rivals and vice versa, as a result of there’s now extra publicity after coming into the Legendary gaming ecosystem
The sport is pretty aggressive by way of the Contract/gas idea. Has there been any kickback in opposition to that?
We’ve undoubtedly heard suggestions, which we welcome — it’s a part of how we iterate. The Contract mechanic is designed to bolster the worth of owned gamers and guarantee a constant technique and circulation in team-building choices. Nonetheless, we’re watching carefully to make sure it doesn’t really feel punitive.
That is a kind of areas the place we’re discovering the correct steadiness, consistently monitoring, tuning and adjusting primarily based on information and neighborhood enter.
What’s been the restrictions by way of getting soccer participant rights for the sport? How do you count on to increase the library over time?Any time you’re working with real-world athletes and international federations, there’s a posh licensing panorama.
With FIFA and FIFPro, we’ve acquired entry to a robust set of gamers out of the gate, and we’re already increasing that by means of extra rights offers, signing golf equipment and leagues as we converse, with the purpose of an inclusive recreation that includes all of the leagues, international locations, golf equipment, and gamers.
You’ll see extra legends, nationwide group icons, and membership gamers roll out as we go.Â
The usage of Fragments as rewards that encourage new gamers into {the marketplace}, whereas additionally permitting whales to flex is a intelligent transfer. The place did the inspiration come from?
We’ve been pondering quite a bit about scalable, sustainable web3 economies — methods to create programs that aren’t only for high spenders but additionally invite informal gamers to interact meaningfully. As a result of everybody needs one thing legendary, proper?
To amass the rarest objects within the recreation, however in fascinating and incentivizing ways in which nonetheless profit the secondary economic system. Fragments got here out of that pondering.Â
We checked out conventional free-to-play crafting mechanics and requested: what does this appear to be onchain? How can a more recent participant work their method towards premium objects, whereas giving superior gamers a approach to unlock higher-tier flexes?
It’s a win-win dynamic that helps the entire participant base.
Discover out extra on the FIFA Rivals web site.
