UFL, an Upcoming FIFA Rival, Teases Gameplay; Cristiano Ronaldo Announced as Cover Star

UFL, the free-to-play football simulator, has teased its gameplay. The game has been in development for the past six years and is set to arrive sometime in 2022, "when it's ready." UFL developer Strikerz Inc has also announced that it has signed Cristiano Ronaldo as its cover star. Set to rival the likes of FIFA and eFootball, UFL is based on the Unreal Engine and the gameplay trailer shows off the looks, player likeness, in-game menus, customisation options, and the platforms on which it will be available when it debuts.

Strikerz Inc is a relatively new studio, based out of Belarus. Through a posted on YouTube, the developer showed off the gameplay of UFL. The free-to-play football simulator is in its final stages of development and is slated to release sometime this year, as and when it is finished, as per the studio. Alongside the video, the developers also gave an insight about the game to IGN.

When it is launched sometime later this year, UFL will be available to play on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/ X.

The video shows that UFL will get ranked as well as unranked modes, have offline modes, along with support for 2v2 and 3v3 matches. Strikerz Inc also mentioned the game will get unspecified "special events." The primary mode in the football simulator will be a flagship mode — UFL's global online football league. This mode will allow players to create their own teams and play in a "fair, division-based matchmaking system." There will be multiple seasons over the course of a year with one player being crowned UFL champion at the end of the year.

Stikerz Inc promises that matchmaking will be based on players' and teams' skills with no handicaps involved. Once players progress high enough, they will be eligible for the UFL Premier division that will offer players with spots in professional tournaments and other rewards. Alongside, there will also be separate team rankings that will let players play with their friends competitively.

The developers also mention that UFL will be "fair to play" and will allow players to build their team using a roster of around 5,000 real-life players. Strikerz Inc also said that when players win and play the game more, they get more opportunities to strengthen their teams with new players or upgrades for existing players.

Through screenshots shared with IGN, it can be seen that UFL will give players the opportunity to manage squads and add cosmetic customisation for their teams. Stickerz Inc also mentioned a Team Pass, quests, and challenges will be rolled out as the game launches. As per the screenshots, the squad management menu looks to be similar to FIFA's Ultimate Team mode. Customisation options are likely to include kits, items, and stadiums. At this point, it remains to be seen how players would earn or buy these customisation options.

Strikerz Inc has signed Cristiano Ronaldo, Kevin De Bruyne, Romelo Lukaku, Roberto Firmino, and Oleksandr Zinchenko as UFL's ambassadors. West Ham United, Sporting CP, Shakhtar Donetsk, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Bayer Leverkusen, Beşiktaş, Monaco, Celtic, Rangers, and Hashtag United have been signed on as partner clubs for the game. More players and clubs are expected to join the roster later.