Konami has been making soccer games way before eFootball, starting way back in 1995. Electronic Arts also started making soccer games in 1993, way before their widely popular FIFA series. They've had a hold on the soccer gaming space for decades, but their holds on their empires are beginning to weaken. Just like any empire, their possible downfall could give rise to another – 2K Soccer's Empire.
We've reported the possibility of 2K sweeping in to take away the FIFA license from EA as EA and FIFA's discussions are starting to fall apart. 2K's Boss Strauss Zelnick at least had given it some thought, but there's no assurance yet that they indeed will enter the soccer landscape. 2K Soccer is an entirely new field that 2K has never entered before, or at least not by themselves. In his comments on whether or not 2K Sports is interested in the FIFA license, Zelnick instead complimented Nordeus, a mobile developer 2K has recently acquired. Nordeus develops the soccer mobile game Top Eleven. Now, whether or not 2K picked up Nordeus for their expertise on soccer isn't confirmed. Nevertheless, their expertise in soccer games could come in handy if and when 2K Soccer does take a full swing.
The current conditions of eFootball and FIFA also make 2K Soccer much more appealing for 2K and Take-Two. eFootball released in a very buggy mess, and no help seems to be in sight as the game's version 1 update isn't coming until 2022. EA, on the other hand, remains notorious for their monetization model with Football Ultimate Team, as well as pending their license renewal with FIFA, future EA soccer games may never be the same again.
Fans of the soccer genre only have eFootball and FIFA to choose from, as they are the only Triple-A games in the market right now. A third entity that can make a good FIFA game provides a good alternative for those who are tired of eFootball and EA's version of FIFA. What more if 2K Soccer's FIFA turns out to be a better product? It could completely spell disaster for Konami and EA.
The ball, so to speak, is in 2K's field. While waiting for EA's FIFA license to expire would be ideal, they could still start their development now of their very own soccer game – with or without FIFA's license. They also have all the time in the world, as it's going to be their first soccer game, after all. There won't be any time limitation for them, nor any pressure to make another one just a year after. They can make a completely different model for their 2K Soccer game, and completely change the landscape for soccer video games for the better.
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