Copa City is the 'first football tycoon' game where you'll manage stadium logistics, fan foot traffic, and the chaos of game day
It takes more than just the teams to make game day happen.
Billing itself as the "first football tycoon," Copa City has been announced today at the PC Gaming Show. In Copa City players will take on the role of a match organizer, in charge of ensuring that high-complexity, high-tension football matches in major cities between major teams don't get mired in logistical nightmares.
Oh, right—we're talking about soccer here, fellow Americans.
The reveal trailer shows off various challenges and decisions that would-be organizational tycoons have to make. There's fan safety and coordinating with the police, problems like organizing routes for foot traffic to and from not just the stadium, but other events in the city like large-scale watch screens. The trailer also makes nods to other problems, like where to seat large blocks of fans, moving teams around the city, and the sheer organizational issues of moving around lots of people who're very, very excited.
So far Copa City has revealed several big clubs for launch, including FC Bayern Munich, Arsenal F.C., and CR Flamengo, with the trailer saying three more are to be announced. It'll also include a real-world stadium map in Warsaw, PGE Narodowy, and two more to be announced. You'll be able to play through a singleplayer campaign mode, challenge mode, and "ranked single match" mode as well.
"Transform urban spaces into fan zones, manage media outlets, and showcase sponsors, all while ensuring everyone gets to the game on time. You have full decision-making ability, which will influence the events before, during, and after the match," says developer Triple Espresso.
It's a cool idea for a tycoon game—making not just a successful business, but a successful experience that stays on time, on budget, and also satisfies the many high-profile partners that a major sports event has to keep happy.
You can find Copa City on Steam.
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Jon Bolding is a games writer and critic with an extensive background in strategy games. When he's not on his PC, he can be found playing every tabletop game under the sun.
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