Netflix’s FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition Has Been Compared to a PS2 Game

It’s unclear what the expectations were for FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition, but a new football game to rival EA Sports FC was always going to be a big deal. The only thing that Netflix’s new FIFA game is being perceived as, though, is a flop.

Netflix announcing a new FIFA game ahead of the 2026 World Cup was massive. We need a serious rival to EA FC, with eFootball being a great game but lacking a mainstream audience, and rival titles in GOALS and UFL being too early to tell if they’ll compete long-term.

FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition is looking to be Netflix‘s answer, but it’s left football fans asking more questions.

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FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition Reviews Are Bad

Where to begin with this…well, let’s check out some reviews.

VGC has delivered a damning review, giving the game 1/5, and compared the graphics to ‘PS3 / Xbox 360 football games.’ It also went one further by declaring the commentary to ‘genuinely feel right at home in the PS1 era.’

What’s on Netflix has been slightly more generous, giving it a 1.5/5.

Before people even got their hands on the game, the comments were brutal. The ‘Official Gameplay Trailer’ was supposed to be the big video to get everyone hyped for the new World Cup game. It did the opposite.

‘Oh, look, there’s PES 2006.’ ‘Is it going to be available for Nintendo 64?’ ‘What in the PlayStation 2?’ ‘Only for PS2 AND GameCube.’

These are just a handful of comments I picked from the gameplay trailer, and with nearly 200 and counting, you’ll do well to find one even remotely positive.

Check out the game for yourself.

Have you, or will you, be giving FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition a go? Let us know via the Insider Gaming Discord.

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