EA Sports has had a stranglehold on the football sim genre for what feels like forever. Courtesy of Konami’s failed efforts to re-enter the space with a bang with eFootball. So there isn’t much competition out there for the EA Sports FC franchise. But soon, however, the Strikerz UFL game is set to launch for PC and consoles. This comes after eight years of development and the promise of being a legitimate rival for the big boys, it’s got plenty to live up to.

Ahead of its imminent release, here we’ll be going over a few key details you should know about UFL — and wont find in eFootball or EA Sports FC.

Free-to-Play

One of UFL’s bigger draws is, of course, going to be the fact that it’s a free-to-play game. Following in the footsteps of Konami’s eFootball—though hopefully, it’ll fare much better—UFL is built on Unreal Engine, promising top-notch visuals and production value. Authentic football simulation is also a key promise, and fans are hopeful that this aspect in particular will be delivered.

Not Pay-to-Win

Free-to-play games are a dime a dozen, but only a small number of them ever find the right balance with their monetization. Strikerz says it’s adopting what it calls a “fair-to-play” monetization model with UFL. This means players can pay for cosmetic items, but, according to the studio, nothing will ever affect gameplay or could be called “pay-to-win.” Meanwhile, new features and updates will launch for free.

Speaking to IGN in 2021, Studio CEO Eugene Nashv said:

“In UFL, players will be able to control all aspects of the game, ranging from team composition to the tactics and formations used in upcoming matches. Your path to victory is determined by your skill and ability. In other words, our game is designed to be a fair-to-play experience, with a skill-first approach and zero tolerance for pay-to-win options.”

Licenses

Getting licenses is a big part of creating an authentic football sim that audiences widely adopt. UFL seems to be making the right promises in this regard. The game has secured the FIFPro license and features over 5,000 licensed real-world footballers.

As far as clubs are concerned, license selections will be more limited. Some of the clubs officially licensed in UFL game include West Ham United, PSV Eindhoven, FC Shakhtar Donetsk, AS Monaco, Sporting CP, Celtic, and Rangers, among others.

The Basics

Let’s get down to the moment-to-moment on-pitch action, an area where UFL is promising all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a football sim. Players can perform passes, lobbed passes, through balls, overlap passes, and more. Shot varieties include regular shots, lobbed shots, skilled shots, and several kinds of trick shots.

Players can also call for teammates and direct them to specific spots. In defense, the game allows for different kinds of tackles—passive and active tackles—and the basics like slide tackles.

Creating and Managing Clubs

A significant part of UFL will be the Global Online League, the game’s central mode. Players will create their own clubs and build squads from players worldwide. Each season, players will compete against each other, climb the ranks, and aim to be crowned the UFL champion. In essence, it’s the game’s take on Ultimate Team.

Matchmaking

UFL will use a skill-based matchmaking system, which the developer announced when the game was first unveiled. Players will be matched based on their skills, and climbing divisions may allow access to the Premier Division, where exclusive rewards such as spots in pro tournaments will be available.

Other Modes

UFL’s selection of modes will be a bit more limited compared to its competition. The Global Online League will be the centerpiece of the experience. Beyond that, the game will also feature options for 2v2 and 3v3 matches in offline mode, as well as custom tournaments, events, challenges, and missions.

Unfortunately, those looking for a career mode will be disappointed, though this might be something Strikerz adds later down the line.

Energy Management

As with any football sim game that involves managing a team, maintaining squad energy is very crucial in UFL. Substitutions and squad rotation are essential too. However, the game will offer the option to use in-game currency to recover a player’s energy instantly. This could potentially upset players if not implemented properly, so striking a balance will be key.

Perks

UFL features a progression system where players level up and unlock new perks. Each level earns a point that can be spent on perks, with each perk having four levels. These range from passive boosts to tangible boosts options for squads.

Player Card Skins

Player card skins will be the primary means of customizing players and one of the main ways for UFL to monetize. These skins come in four rarities and are primarily cosmetic. However, players can combine skins for tactical boosts. Whether this clashes with the “zero pay-to-win” promise remains to be seen.

Skin Packs

Like Ultimate Team’s packs, UFL will have skin packs. These can be earned through gameplay or purchased with in-game currency. Each pack will include several card skins, with rarities determined by a dice roll.

In-Game Currency

UFL will use two currencies: League Points (LP) and Credit Points (CP). LP can be used for customization items, boosters, skin packs, battle passes, and squad slots, while CP can be used to purchase customization items, skin packs, players in the transfer market, and instant energy recovery.

Both currencies can be earned through gameplay or purchased with real money.

UFL will officially launch for free on December 5th. However, players who pre-order the Founders Pack for $15 can gain seven days of early access that starts on November 28th.

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