Nike’s .SWOOSH is pushing beyond the baseline of in-game boots inside EA FC 25.
Earlier this year, when I wrote the Creative Soccer Culture (CSC) paper, there was a rather startling stat that came through from the SoccerBible audience. 72 percent believe video games can do more to connect with Creative Soccer Culture. Of course when you think of video games and football, one immediately thinks of EA FC (formerly FIFA). The reach of this game can’t be understated. Everyone from Kylian Mbappe to Sam Kerr do everything to squeeze the game in between their tight on pitch schedules. Not to mention the EA FC esports teams from Man City to YanBian that compete all through the year. And of course, it’s a rite of passage for almost every teenager with a gaming interest to have duelled with their friends on EA FC. When it comes to the “creative” component, EA FC certainly doesn’t lack exciting gameplay features with the likes of Rush and Ultimate Team. Yet to connect with the CSC, you need to embrace the polymathic nature of football. That means art, photography, architecture, fashion…it’s about drawing in new influences that go beyond gameplay. It’s the equivalent of Roblox working with Charli XCX on BRAT takeovers – moving beyond button mash mania. So how is EA FC heeding to the call of connecting better with the CSC?
One of the most compelling creative partnerships within EA FC has been with Nike. More specifically, a partnership with .SWOOSH – Nike’s home for all things gaming. Now, the idea of a sports game working with a sportswear partner is not necessarily revolutionary (life-like digital renders of kits and boots from various sportswear brands have existed inside EA FC for years). But .SWOOSH takes things a level deeper. We caught up with Nike’s Head Of Virtual Studios, Ron Faris, to learn more about how .SWOOSH is pushing EA FC deeper into the realms of the CSC.
Faris explained, “The EA SPORTS FC and Nike partnership is built around ambition. This ambition is achieved through virtual-first designs like the Nike Air Zoom Arena, or this exclusive product launch celebrating our FC Founders.”
Let’s unpack the significance behind both of these, starting with the Nike Zoom Arena. For our regular readers, you will know how much we adore stadium design over here at SoccerBible. Our 'Residence' series is our dedicated stadium porn space, taking us to some of the most compelling architectural masterpieces in football around the world. But of course, there’s certain structural limitations to how these stadiums can appear in real life. As a virtual-first design inside EA FC, no such limitations exist. Nike Zoom Arena leans into the fantastical that we have come to expect in video game worlds, while remaining grounded in real world design.
This dialogue between building-and-shoe has become a trademark of Nike’s over the years. Tinker Hatfield, designer of the Nike Air Max, was famously inspired by the Centre Pompidou in Paris when designing the bubbles of the shoe. The Nike Zoom Arena inverts this legacy, taking inspiration from the Nike Air Mercurial, one of Nike’s most revered football boots, and transforming it into an architectural marvel. “To date, nearly 277 million matches have been played in the Nike Air Zoom Arena,” said Faris. The arena has existed for less than three months and has hosted more games than any other football stadium standing today. The power of “virtual-first” isn’t just in its design, but in its power to host mass play and new game formats (I.e. 5v5 Rush).
Meanwhile, the .SWOOSH x EA FC Founders jersey goes beyond the virtual. We have gone into depth already on the EA FC x .SWOOSH Founders design and story, what’s more prevalent here is the phygital nature of this product. “We are merging digital and on-pitch football at a new level with an exclusive, physical .SWOOSH x EA SPORTS FC Founders shirt. For the first time, fans will be able to access digital products and purchase a physical shirt for themselves.” The reason this is a big deal is that virtual and physical products on EA FC have traditionally sat separately. Now, for a select special group of “founders” who originally bought the game before 26 September, 2024 and then played it before 31 October, 2024 – their Founders shirt merges their style between virtual and physical. This is particularly relevant for Gen Z, with 84 percent claiming that what they wear in real life is inspired by their in-game style.
The .SWOOSH and EA FC partnership represents a clear mission for the game to embrace more codes of the CSC. With 94 percent of our audience claiming that they love when football brands do something creatively new and surprising, what’s better than two of the most influential brands in football combining forces to forge the future of the game? From design to fashion outputs, .SWOOSH is embracing the polymathic nature of football inside EA FC.
EAFC 25 is available across all platforms now.
