The Premier League club, Arsenal have announced a new partnership with Unagi, which will see the club join the brand’s upcoming fantasy football game, Ultimate Champions.
Ultimate Champions is a free cross-league fantasy football game that allows its users to assemble the best team possible from real-world players and receive points based on how well the players perform in the actual match.
Using Stats Perform statistics, the distinctive Ultimate Champions scoring system values each position on the field in the most stable way possible. This is a significant differentiator, as it means that players in positions such as defensive midfielder are eventually compensated for their efforts, with passes, blocks, and interceptions valued alongside goals and assists.
The users are not restricted to picking players from a single league in a single country, instead, users can develop a fully international team by selecting players from any league on the globe that is a part of Ultimate Champions. This is a true test of users’ global football knowledge as it allows its users to recruit upcoming skilled footballers all over the world.
Ultimate Champions allows you to earn in-game currency as well as purchase digital player card NFTs.
Ultimate Champions is influenced by a play-to-earn mechanic, and each player is depicted by a unique digital player card which is also known as an NFT, within the game. These are similar to collectible football stickers but in digital form. Users’ digital player cards can be managed to keep as a keepsake or sold. The digital player cards can be used across multiple seasons as long as the player does not change clubs, which suggests the users’ team does not reset and lose all value at the end of the season.
The idea is straightforward, the more successful users get in the game, the more digital player cards they will receive. It is then users’ choice whether to keep their cards or trade them with other users. Nevertheless, the user can play the entire game for free without purchasing digital player cards.
Ultimate Champions, like many other free-to-play digital games, has its own in-game currency which the users can earn and spend on the platform. Ultimate Champions has two in-game currencies, $CHAMP (Ultimate Champions token) and $MGC (Manager Contracts). However, users can play the full game for free without using the currency.
Arsenal’s Chief Commercial Officer, Juliet Slot, said, “Unagi’s Ultimate Champions represents the next generation of fantasy football gaming. We’re privileged to be the only Premier League club to join the free to play game and bring this brilliant concept to our supporters around the world, giving them the opportunity to apply their global football knowledge and test themselves as football manager.
“Arsenal and Unagi share many of the same values and our collective drive and ambition to be at the forefront of global fan engagement will stand us in good stead as we develop our partnership. We’re looking forward to working together to give our supporters the ultimate gaming experience.”
Unagi’s CEO Remi Pellerin, said, “We are very proud and excited to welcome Arsenal to Ultimate Champions. Having grown up in London and been a Gooner my entire life, this partnership is particularly special! Arsenal’s young crop of players is perfectly suited to our innovative fantasy game: users will be able to scout for young talent, collect their favourite players’ digital cards, and play with them every week.
“The value of these cards will evolve over time in line with the real performances of each Arsenal player – just like in any fantasy game. Except in Ultimate Champions, you get to keep the cards you collect and play with them season after season.”