The FIFA project that Netflix Games is working on with developer and publisher Delphi Interactive now has industry veteran Julien Merceron working on it as the latter company’s chief technology officer. Merceron has previously worked at Konami, Bandai Namco, Ubisoft, Square Enix, and IO Interactive, among others. At Konami, he served as its worldwide technology director and oversaw the development of the Fox Engine.
The engine would go on to be used for several projects by Konami, from Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes and Phantom Pain to a number of its Pro Evolution Soccer games, which would eventually be rebranded to eFootball. The year 2020 saw its use coming to an end, however, with Konami switching to Unreal Engine for future titles.
“Julien is known for football games people loved because they were built with fun and feel at the center,” said Delphi Interactive partner and executive producer on the game Theodor Tang-Peronard in a statement, according to GamesMarkt. “That way of thinking is core to how we’re reimagining FIFA in simulation for a much broader audience. Julien’s experience brings a level of clarity that sharpens our decisions and helps ensure the game is easy to pick up, yet still has depth.”
The studio will be working on the FIFA project with Refactor Games, with the two companies sharing “a very specific approach” for the project, according to Merceron. “With small, elite teams of top-tier designer and developer talent, we can stay true to the core creative vision and serve the great fandom of football. In a way, we are returning to the principles that made the great football games of the past.”
The FIFA project was unveiled during Netflix’s Tudum event back in December, and is slated to be released in time for the FIFA World Cup 2026. In its announcement, Netflix described the title as being a “newly reimagined FIFA football simulation game.”
“Football is the biggest thing in the world,” said Delphi Interactive founder and CEO Casper Daugaard during the announcement. “As lifelong FIFA fans, we’re honored to help usher in the bold next generation and reimagine the future of the franchise. Our mission is simple: Make the FIFA game the most fun, approachable, and global football game ever created.”
The last major video game release under the FIFA banner was EA’s FIFA 23. Since then, however, the company has gone on to release more football games under the new label EA Sports FC.
In the meantime, FIFA has also teamed up with Solace to unveil a new football game dubbed FIFA Heroes. The title is being developed for PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android, and is slated for release sometime this year. Developer Enver Studio has confirmed that it will be a 5-on-5 football game with a focus on mascots and legends from the sport.
FIFA Heroes will have dynamic physics powering its core football gameplay, which will lean more on the arcade side of things. After building up their squad with football personalities, recognisable fictional characters and the official FIFA mascots, players can partake in single-player and multiplayer matches. There will also be a career mode with its own player progression system.
It is also slated to be the first time that official FIFA mascots will be playable characters in a football game. At launch, it will include three mascots from host nations—Maple for Canada, Zayu for Mexico and Clutch for the US—with more roster additions planned for later.
