FIFA Heroes is a quirky five-a-side arcade take on the beautiful game

• FIFA Heroes is an arcadey new take on the football sim
• It promises not only familiar footballing faces but also mascots as playable characters
• There are also rumblings of collab characters making appearances

Ever since EA lost the FIFA licence, we've been seeing more and more experimental takes by the football governing body. Certainly, they're going in a quirkier direction than before. As is the case with the upcoming arcade-style five-a-side football sim FIFA Heroes, which is set for a 2026 release.

At its core, there's nothing too unusual about FIFA Heroes. While we haven't been made privy to any gameplay footage, it promises both PvP and PvE fun. You'll be able to duke it out with friends in lightning-fast arcade matches while climbing up the leaderboards and showing off your skills.

But where FIFA Heroes really stands out is in the marketing. For one, we've got FIFA Mascots taking centre stage, including those of Canada, Mexico and the United States. These mascots are just the tip of the iceberg, with promises of both recognisable football stars and tie-in characters from other media.

The Fortnite effect

I don't think it's unfair to speculate that this means there'll be plenty of collaborations in FIFA Heroes. And why not? Football is already about the big names, so if you can mix your Messis and Maradonas with your Supermans and Batmans, you'd be in for a winner.

At the same time, I can see this perhaps being a little too goofy for some people. After all, most of us want authenticity from adaptations and sims. And with some big competition on the horizon with the roaring return of Football Manager to mobile, I don't think goofy anthropomorphic eagles and mooses will really crack the code across the board.

And if you want to check out what kind of competition they have, we've got you covered. Check out our comprehensive list of the best sports games on Android for everything from familiar arcade fun to gritty and granular simulation.