EA Sports has just released an early access version of “FC Empires”, a new football 4X strategy game that is a bit like a combination of “Football Manager” and “Clash of Clans”.
It is currently available on iOS and Android platforms in Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, with plans for a global release in the near future.
FC Empires focuses not only on the sport itself but also on the business side of modern football, requiring players to build their clubs into global superpowers with smart marketing, the best medical and scouting facilities and an experienced coaching staff.
Watch on YouTube
Prior to this release, we had played a closed alpha version of FC Empires, and it was both strange and fascinating. Anyone who has played EA Sports FC 25's Ultimate Team, as well as any other mobile strategy game such as Clash of Clans or even The Simpsons: Tapped Out, will immediately recognize the different mechanics.
You invest in-game cash into infrastructure, which is built in the real world but can be accelerated with premium items. This infrastructure has utility in the game, such as hospitals that speed up recovery times for injured players. So far, so many mobile strategies.
Building your team is where EA Ultimate Team comes in, as you'll get a drip feed of “transfers” just like opening packs in EA Sports FC 25. You can then mix and match different players based on their nationality, real-life teams and franchises. Leagues they compete in to build team chemistry to improve statistics.
What's similar to Football Manager is the match engine, where you don't control each player individually, but instead set formations and tactics and watch the action from the sidelines.
FC Empires is far more streamlined than the in-depth tactical planning found in Football Manager, but it's clear that EA is targeting a similar type of football fan who's tired of the rapid, tense jerks of a hundred miles a minute. The gameplay of EA Sports FC, but more like team building and tactics, albeit more casual.
Once you determine your lineup, you can invite AI-controlled teams to your home stadium for exhibition games, or you can go out into the wider world to compete with other players. The winner will win the love of more fans around the world and increase The value of the club.
This is a stadium as far away from “real” football as you can get. The idea of becoming a fan of a team because it wins is completely foreign to most avid supporters. Supporting Leeds makes me miserable, ruins my weekends and raises my blood pressure – and I love it.
But there's no getting away from the fact that FC Empires is the fusion of two key game mechanics that have proven to be extremely popular and compelling around the world – plus, it's worth mentioning that on many unfortunate occasions In some cases, it is indeed addictive.
FC Empires has an official website with more information, as well as an official Facebook and Discord you can follow for release announcements.
