There are few things that are givens in this world, but annual sports games are one of them. From the very conception of the first home consoles, sports games have always been a staple. By the mid 1990s, annual sports releases were becoming the norm, with franchises likeMadden NFLandFIFArearing their heads every year consistently. In these early days, yearly sports titles were truly innovative, attempting to capture the sport as best they could with the technology they were given.
Nowadays,millions pick up the newFIFA,NBA, orMaddenevery year, and publishers keep raking in the sales, even if some big sports titles fail to live up to expectations. With half of the year left, there are still plenty of sports games set to release, including some fan-favorites, and some bold newcomers.
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Matchpoint: Tennis Championships
Releasing in just a few weeks, on July 7,Matchpoint: Tennis Championshipsaims to be a far more modern and realistic tennis game than competitors likeMario Tennis. To capture this realism, developer Torus Games is using smooth character animations and state-of-the-art ball physics to make each shot and serve feel more real than the last. Players will be able to create their own tennis superstar and throw them into a deep career mode that features a complex ranking system. Alternatively, players can choose from 16 world-famous tennis stars to play as, with a range of customizable cosmetics to boot. Players wanting to try outMatchpoint: Tennis Championshipsbefore its July release date can download the newly released demo via Steam, or the Microsoft Store.
Madden NFL 23
Coming out in just over a month, on August 19,Madden NFL 23is the next installment in the long-running football franchise. WithMaddenbeing one of the annual series mentioned up top, it’s unlikely that the formula is going to change much, but EA is adamant that this year’s entry is a definite step-up over its predecessor, with a whole new physics system. Called “FieldSENSE,” thisnew system tweaksMadden NFL’s defensive AI, offers a more precise method of passing, and makes tackling so precise that the game can apparently detect which individual body part was impacted during a tackle. WhileMadden NFL 23is dropping for last-gen systems as well, FieldSENSE will only be available for current-gen consoles.
FIFA 23
Though it hasn’t been officially confirmed just yet,FIFA 23is a given at this point. With EA recently announcing that it was going to be making a departure from the FIFA license in the near-future, beingrebranded asEA Sports FC, it seems pretty likely thatFIFA 23will be the final entry in this 30-year franchise. No gameplay details are out yet, but a World Cup mode has been leaked. If it follows the same pattern as the rest of the series,FIFA 23will probably release towards the end of the year, likely at the end of September or early November.
UFL
A newcomer enters the arena; developed by Strikerz Inc.,UFLis an upcoming free-to-play soccer game in a similar vein toFIFA. In the wake of thedisastrous launch ofeFootballlast year,UFLhas repeatedly assured gamers thatUFLhas no pay-to-win mechanics, and that it puts skill first. There’s currently no exact release date forUFL, but it is slated for a 2022 release.
Blood Bowl 3
The final sports game officially slated for a 2022 release,Blood Bowl 3takes theWarhammerboard game of the same name, and transforms it into a thrilling, funny, turn-based video game. Acting as a sequel to the 2015Blood Bowl 2,Blood Bowl 3is using the updated Second Edition ruleset, and features a whopping total of 12 playable races, ranging from the iconic Orcs, to the Elven Union, Dark Elves, and Chaos Renegades. With a third beta just wrapped up, it seems as thoughBlood Bowl 3is well on track for a 2022 release.
