The indigenous Musqueam people will get their own VOLTA football pitch in FIFA 23 – there will also be jersey designs. EA SPORTS is thus integrating a piece of the regional culture.
With Ted Lasso and his AFC Richmond or also the FUT-Heroes in comic look EA SPORTS has already brought a piece of pop culture into FIFA 23. Now the Vancouver, Canada-based developer is immortalising the indigenous culture of its hometown in the game.
Like many cities in North America, their expansion threatened the habitat of the indigenous people living there – the Musqueam. After they were allocated only a limited area in the 19th century, their forests were cleared for the construction of the university. It was not until 1984 that Vancouver granted them a claim to the area they had first inhabited. Today, a total of about 1,300 Musqueam live in three reserves in the middle of the Canadian metropolis. To bring their athletes and people living in the region together, a dedicated football field was built in 2012.
Cultural symbols also in FUT
This is exactly what can be played on in the VOLTA mode in FIFA 23 – at least on a fictional replica of it. “Cultural elements have been integrated into the game,” EA’s announcement says. Next to the field, a house and artworks by visual artists, carvers, designers and weavers of the Musqueam can be seen.
In addition, players will have access to various VOLTA and FUT team kits designed by Musqueam designers such as Cole Sparrow-Crawford, Kelly Cannell, Chase Gray and Kamryn Sparrow. Stadiums will also be able to be outfitted with various symbols and patterns of indigenous culture.
Whoever takes a walk through the Canadian metropolis will by now encounter symbols and cultural pieces of the Musqueam everywhere. Even the EA SPORTS headquarters greets you at the entrance with classic carvings. With the integration of culture into FIFA 23, the publisher creates a piece of representation. Whether this adaptation away from the actual football is already a hint of the possibilities in the direction of EA SPORTS FC without FIFA license?
