UFL Football Game: Gameplay, Trailers & Everything We Know

UFL is an upcoming game, looking to steal the thunder from the likes of FIFA and eFootball, because for as long as most gamers can remember, both franchises (eFootball formerly known as PES) have dominated the genre. UFL stands for United Football League and after being announced during Opening Night Live at Gamescom 2021, it has captured the wonder of football fans everywhere, but plenty of questions still remain. What is the UFL release date? What UFL teams will there be? And will UFL be any good? Here's everything you need to know about the UFL football game.

UFL Football Game Trailers

UFL Gameplay Trailer

UFL released a first-look gameplay trailer on January 27, as Strikerz' CEO Eugene Nashilov talked fans through some brand-new partners before dropping a short compilation of in-game snippets.

The UFL gameplay trailer (starting at 14:45) highlights what the free-to-play game can offer. With a very Ultimate Team-esque online game mode that pits you into worldwide leagues, the five founding players can be seen manoeuvring through the pitch in a rather calculated and smooth manner. Despite early signs of a rather slow game speed, the free-to-play title shows great promise from the immersive camera angles and graphics.

Alongside the gameplay trailer, Strikerz also showcased their extensive partnerships, revealing seven new teams from around the globe and five of the worlds' best players who will be ambassadors for the new title.

UFL Announcement Video

The 40-second long reveal at Gamescom didn't give fans too much of an insight into the overall feel for UFL, although there is plenty that we can digest from its partners and social media pages.

During the trailer, we get a glimpse of some dynamic graphics pulled through from Unreal Engine, whilst eagle-eyed fans like us spotted some more in-depth features.

Is There A UFL Release Date?

So far, the developers have yet to make an official statement as to when the UFL release date is. The free-to-play title's launch date will be revealed at a later date, although you can imagine that they will aim for a pre-season launch to coincide with the annual football calendar.

During the Gameplay Trailer, the developers revealed the game will be landing in 2022. The devs confirmed that UFL is in the "last stages of development", meaning we could be on course to see it in the pre-season.

UFL Partnered Teams: West Ham, Hashtag United, And More

The first partnership with the UFL will come in the form of West Ham. The hammers have been confirmed to be partnering alongside the "groundbreaking" game, where their stadium has been the first to be displayed. 

Speaking in a blog post, West Ham United Commercial Director Nathan Thompson said, "We’re proud to have been a leader in esports among football clubs ever since we signed our first professional gamer in 2016 and our partnership with UFL is another huge step forwards."

Continuing with professional teams, UFL has also revealed partnerships with Celtic, Rangers, Shakhtar Donetsk, Borussia Monchengladbach, Sporting Lisbon, AS Monaco, and Besiktas.

UFL has also paired with English non-league team Hashtag United as their official sponsors. It is yet unclear as to whether the Azpilicueta-backed club will be on UFL though, having yet to appear in the top-four flights of English Football.

UFL Partnered Players: Ronaldo, De Bruyne, and more

Manchester City full-back Oleksandr Zinchenko was revealed as the first player partnering with the game, with a sneak peek of his personalised boots being on display in the original announcement trailer. As the players pass through the tunnel, the strapline of "No Zina No Party" can be spotted etched into a pair of PUMA One 5.1 boots, which are exclusive to the blonde-haired Ukrainian.

Now, the developers have also revealed that Kevin De Bruyne, Roberto Firmino, Romolu Lukaku, and Cristiano Ronaldo will join Zinchenko in being the "magnificent five" group of ambassadors. 

UFL vs FIFA vs eFootball Comparison

As a simulation football game, UFL will have many competitors. Both FIFA and a revamped eFootball will have established fans, with the latter also expanding to a free to play model to rival its overarching competitor.

As to where UFL will differ and break into the market, UFL CEO, Eugene Nashilov, told IGN, "the feedback and data we collected motivated us to create a brand-new game, one that meets and exceeds gamers' vision of the perfect football game."

"Football video games have been on the market for more than 25 years. However, the games on the market today have failed to innovate: over the years, football simulators have barely updated themselves to keep up with modern gaming trends, mechanics and business models. The community has been complaining about it for years.

"Perhaps existing football games, with an eye toward their strong legacy, have found it difficult to change and bring new features in a timely manner. UFL, on the other hand, is a brand-new game that embodies and reflects gamers’ hopes and expectations."

Is UFL Free To Play?

UFL will be free-to-play, with the emphasis being on a "fair to play" mantra. This means that the developers are also swaying away from FIFA's FUT model where is undeniably "pay to win".

Instead, UFL will solely rely on players skills and ability to be able to succeed in the game, rather than paying to have all of the best players.

It's not yet clear how UFL looks to make a profit from a F2P model and a "zero-tolerance" to pay to win, although a subscription for cosmetics will likely be a method that will be deployed.

UFL Football Platforms: Is It On PlayStation, Xbox, and PC?

UFL will be available on consoles upon its launch, according to their social media channel.

The developers also confirmed that they are looking towards a PC instalment. However, it appears hand-held consoles like Nintendo Switch will be overlooked.

What UFL Gamemodes Will There Be?

With a lack of licences available thanks to a monopoly in the industry by FIFA, a new UFL football game will likely stay clear of adding full teams to their game unless they opt for a Merseyside Red PES approach. This minimises the chances of having a Career Mode-esque game, and rather focusing on something that edges towards FUT where individual players are the focus.

Keep your eyes peeled on GGRecon for more UFL news, guides, and more.