Developed and distributed by Delphi, FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition is an official game licensed for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, kicking off on Thursday, June 11th, with the same release date. The game will be exclusively available through Netflix Games. Naturally, only subscribers to the streaming service will be able to access it, meaning you won’t even be able to download it without a separate account. Up to four players can join in on the TV screen, with each controlling the game using their smartphone.
FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition marks a new direction for FIFA football games, but it’s not one that particularly pleases long-time players of EA Sports’ FIFA titles. EA, without the license, continued as EA Sports FC. The latter, for its 2026 version, received an update titled The World’s Game, in lieu of having the rights to cover the FIFA World Cup. Nevertheless, this is very different from having a completely dedicated game, as was the case in previous years.
In FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition, start the game on your TV, scan the QR code with your phone, and you’ll be able to swipe to shoot and pass in seconds. It’s not exactly the most intuitive way to play virtual football. On another note, there’s FIFA Heroes featuring World Cup mascots, and Konami has also just released a new exclusive game for Nintendo Switch 2, not related to the FIFA mega-championship but capitalizing on the current buzz, eFootball Kick-Off.
You can play with any of the tournament’s 48 teams, travel to 16 real stadiums, and control any of the 1248 players in FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition. The “Launch Edition” designation signifies a “start”: an agile and dynamic game that will evolve over time, but which offers the immediate possibility to play during this historic event. To play, navigate to the “Games” tab on your TV to find FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition and the rest of the game catalog.
Netflix TV games are currently available in 20 countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, and Brazil. More countries will be added over time.
