Over the past year or so, we have seen one of the longest running partnerships in gaming dissolve as EA's highly successful FIFA series will no longer license the FIFA name from soccer's world governing body. Long before this became public, EA executives were hinting behind closed doors to unscrupulous people like me that this was going to happen. Because all the value is on EA's side. The video game publisher has arguably built FIFA as a brand more than FIFA has accomplished in its entire history over the past few decades.

Or, as EA CEO Andrew Wilson told investors: FIFA is "just four letters (open in new tab) on the front of a box. After reportedly taking the news like a spoiled child, President Gianni Infantino declared that any game bearing the FIFA brand would be "THE BEST" (open in new tab).

So, this year's "FIFA 23" will be the last in the series to bear the name (strangely melancholy (open in new tab)), and next year EA will release a soccer game under the name "EA Sports FC" (open in new tab). Meanwhile, FIFA is looking for several new partners (opens in new tab) and hoping against hope that it can create something that can compete with the juggernaut that once made its name.

Therefore, it is not surprising that Roblox was able to convince FIFA to dip its toe into this highly successful gaming platform (50 million daily users, according to the press release) Roblox's game production costs are low, and the company is looking for a new partner that will be able to compete with the likes of EA and EA. At least, cheaper than competing with EA. At least, cheaper than competing with EA. It also means that they can get something out quickly to a huge, overwhelmingly young audience.

The collaboration is called FIFA World, a "virtual environment that celebrates the power of soccer and the rich history of its premier event." There are several references to the metaverse that I will spare you, but to answer the most obvious question first, this is not a soccer game. It is a walk-around social space of sorts, with various soccer-themed rewards and challenges, mini-games based on things like keep-ups, and various videos of great moments in soccer history.

Quite oddly, it also includes bowling. Adidas Foot Bowling Arena. You had one job at FIFA.

In other words, EA is spinning its wheels to devour the delicious football pie. This is a sideshow of what is happening in the video game sports world, and there is nothing wrong with that, but the claim that this will evolve, adapt, and become the national space for this year's Qatar World Cup or the 2023 Women's World Cup is ludicrous.

"FIFA believes that such a multi-layered experience will result in truly inclusive and enjoyable gameplay, which in turn will attract new and existing soccer fans around the world and spread the value of the sport to an even broader audience," says FIFA's Romy Guy. The allegations include allegations of bribes to award the World Cup to tyrannical regimes, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. (Open in new tab)

Meanwhile, Christina Wooten is Roblox's vice president of global partnerships, and no doubt she is looking forward to her Christmas bonus.

This line is so insane I can't parse it. Look: I don't watch soccer with my dad as much as I did as a kid. But when we do get a chance to watch it together, it's something special, and I don't buy into this idea that something like Roblox can somehow annex such a social space. I don't think so.

A little grumbling on PC Gamer dot com won't stop its march. Soon we will all have a leg up on the metaverse (opens in new tab).

"It's incredibly exciting to see FIFA and Roblox come together," says Barcelona star Pedri, flashing 'SOS' in Morse code. I can't wait to see FIFA World continue to evolve." The soccer fans we see in the stands every week love the game."

The Morse code crap is a joke. In all seriousness, FIFA World is clearly not made for the casual soccer fan like me. As of this writing, it has had about 6,000 hits, and FIFA World can be found here (opens in a new tab).