[Weekend Game] Netflix Launches Family Soccer Game to Capture World Cup Boom

Game Displayed on TV to Engage World Cup Viewers
Podcast Launches as Well: "Goal Is to Keep Viewers Engaged"

Global online video service company Netflix is releasing a game to coincide with the 2026 North and Central America World Cup. Although the company is not broadcasting the World Cup, it aims to keep users engaged on its platform through games, podcasts, and other content.

On the 11th (local time), Netflix exclusively released the soccer game 'FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition' through Netflix Games on the opening day of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup. A scene from FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition. Screenshot from X

On June 11 (local time), the opening day of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, Netflix exclusively launched the soccer game "FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition" through Netflix Games. The game features all 48 national teams that qualified for this World Cup and a total of 1,248 players. Additionally, it depicts 16 actual stadiums in the host cities. Users can enjoy various modes such as tournaments, national team selection matches, and penalty shootouts. The game is available in 20 countries worldwide, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, and Brazil. However, Asian countries, including South Korea, are excluded from the list of available countries. Netflix plans to expand the service to Asia in the future.

One notable aspect of this game is that it is designed to be played only on TV. The match screen is displayed on the TV while the smartphone acts as the controller, allowing users to control players in the game. By scanning a QR code shown on the TV screen with a smartphone, users can link the TV and their phone. The game also supports up to four players in multiplayer mode, making it enjoyable for families as well.

By making TV the access point for the game, Netflix is enabling World Cup viewers to enjoy gaming on its platform. Netflix has previously invested in games to prevent subscriber churn and increase user engagement time. Since September 2021, it has acquired game studios such as Night School Studio, Next Games, and Boss Fight Entertainment. On May 4, the company also posted a job opening for researchers to handle the development and optimization of large language models (LLM) for games and multimodal technology, offering compensation of up to $750,000 (about 1.1 billion won).

In addition to games, Netflix is leveraging other content to keep World Cup viewers on its platform. The company has recruited Gary Lineker, a former English footballer turned broadcaster, to host the soccer podcast "The Rest Is Football" as a daily streaming feature. Netflix is reportedly investing 14 million pounds (about 28.6 billion won) in a total of 40 episodes of The Rest Is Football. Tony Pastor, co-founder of the show's production company Goalhanger, said in an interview with the British daily The Guardian, "Netflix's goal is to provide something to watch every day so viewers will stay for the entire six weeks."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.