SALT LAKE CITY — At least one major soccer club will be absent from FIFA 20 because of another major soccer video game.
Juventus, which includes the soccer phenom Cristiano Ronaldo, will be absent from this year’s game, according to reports. Per ComicBook.com, the teams signed exclusive rights with the video game Pro Evolution Soccer 2020, a competitor to FIFA.
Juventus announced the decision in a press release this week. EA Sports later confirmed the announcement.
- “Our comprehensive partnership with Juventus FC, one of the greatest teams in the world, is a clear statement of intent for eFootball PES 2020 — the only console game where you can play as the Italian giants. With eFootball PES, playing is believing and we’re proud to have Juventus FC believe in us and our exciting future together,” said Jonas Lygaard, senior director brand and business development at Konami Digital Entertainment, according to a Juventus press release.
So what happens: “So, what does this mean? Well, it means the team names, their kits and their stadiums won’t be in the game. For example, Juventus will be Piemonte Calcio in the game. That said, the players will still be the same, and there will still be face scans and all that jazz as well. There just won’t be the kits, stadium or names of either team,” according to ComicBook.com.
The same may happen with Bayern Munich. Bayern Munich forward Serge Gnabry said he became an official PES ambassador, as Bayern Munich signed a deal with Konami, which develops the PES series, according to Goal.com.
- “Konami has a long history of championing German football, and so we’re very happy to become a platinum partner of FC Bayern, the most successful German club in history,” said Jonas Lygaard, senior director of brand and business development at Konami Digital Entertainment.
- ”With each year, our development team continues to surpass expectations and we are very proud to present FC Bayern’s epic Allianz Arena and its players in all their glory in eFootball PES 2020.”
PES 2020 has partnerships with Manchester United and Arsenal, too. However, they are not exclusive, according to GameSpot.