Most fans are disappointed due to 2K’s decision to delay the release of its NFL arcade game. However, the League along with the NFL players association is stepping in and delighting NFL fans with its decision to partner with Mythical Games to create its first-ever blockchain game called NFL Rivals. We don’t have too many details of what the game will be like, apart from that it will be the team management genre. but we eagerly wait for more tidbits of news.
NFL and the Virtual World
According to the description provided by NFL, the game will allow people to tap into their fantasy of becoming a General Manager and handling the reins of their team in the league. Gamers will compete against other GMs and their teams while developing, expanding, and upgrading their teams. They can also own, accumulate, and exchange non-fungible tokens (NFTs) of their favorite players, thus providing a personalized gaming experience. Furthermore, in the new gaming model, as managers play football games they can earn in game rewards.
There are no screenshots or trailers for NFL Rivals, so we’re in the dark so far. However, NFL has turned the excitement up a notch by announcing the release of the “Rarity League” drops, which have taken the collectors’ world by storm. These drops contain 32 sets of unique and custom 3D NFL themed NFTs that will be released sometime before the game.
Gauging the description provided to us, we can imagine that NFL Rivals will be closer to Football Manager, allowing gamers to build, expand, and manage their teams and battle it out against to win players in game rewards. But it will also venture a little towards fantasy football, suggesting a combination of both. We can only hope that it doesn’t rip off the Ultimate Team gameplay from the Madden franchise. It already allows you to build rosters and earn rewards while also managing the day-to-day aspects of managing a team.
As per reports, you can expect to play NFL Rivals on the web and mobile web early next year, and you can check out its updates and news on its Discord. According to Mythical Games Chief Creative Officer Jamie Jackson, adding NFTs to the mix will greatly enhance the gaming experience, especially the team management aspect. The play and own games aspect will also provide gamers with a new way to represent and play with their favorite teams and players.
NFL Rivals NFT Choose Mythical Games
According to, Terése Whitehead, vice president of consumer products and strategy at NFL Players, “NFTs are revolutionizing the fan experience, and we’re excited to collaborate with the imaginative team at Mythical Games to create a whole new blockchain-based world in which NFL players take center stage.”
Mythical Games developed the video gaming Blankos Block Party which allows players to trade non-fungible tokens whilst having fun in a virtual world.
The concept of play and own games has been around for quite some time, but it always comes with uncertainty, especially due to a lack of awareness among new gamers. To tackle this, Mythical Games has come up with the concept of a custodial wallet, which will allow gamers to play NFL Rivals without having to worry about what goes on in the background. However, some have argued that not having the keys to the blockchain would imply a lack of ownership.
The creators allow more experienced players to link their wallets with its proprietary Mythical Chain and the public mainnet through bridges. Still, as we have seen in the case of the Axie Infinity NFT hack that wiped out $600 million, bridges have a lot of security loopholes. Mythical Games is backed by a $150 million venture capital investment to further its efforts into Web 3.0 and the blockchain, so we can hope they have a solution to the security concerns.
For now, we don’t have a game to tell you about since it is just a title. However, NFL and Mythical Games seem ready to offer gamers the chance to buy and own NFTs while also managing their favorite teams. We look forward to giving you more news on the team management genre blockchain enabled game.
