The former boss of Metal Gear Solid and eFootballs...

What’s Happening

Not gonna lie, A new FIFA game is set to be dropped in time for the World Cup this summer The former boss of Metal Gear Solid and eFootballs Fox Engine is overseeing tech on Netflixs new FIFA game A new FIFA game is set to be dropped in time for the World Cup this summer Video Game News 2nd Feb 2026 / 4:12 pm Posted by Chris Scullion FIFA 23 was the last EA Sports game to feature the FIFA brand, which Netflix is now handling.

The former man in charge of overseeing Konamis Fox Engine is taking on a similar role at the studio working on Netflixs upcoming FIFA game. Julien Merceron before worked at Konami , Bandai Namco , Square Enix , Ubisoft and IO Interactive , and is now chief technology officer at Delphi Interactive, the California-based studio rn working on a FIFA-branded game for the upcoming 2026 World Cup. (wild, right?)

During his time at Konami, Merceron was the companys worldwide technology director, where he oversaw the development of the Fox Engine.

The Details

While the Fox Engine was most notable for its use in Metal Gear Solid 5, it was also used for Konamis Pro Evolution Soccer / eFootball series between 2013 and 2020, before it was replaced with Unreal Engine, meaning Merceron has previous experience working on tech for football games. Delphi is rn tasked with reimagining the FIFA series from the ground up, now that the brand is no longer associated with EA Sports .

The studio is working alongside Refactor Games, the studio responsible for American football game Football Simulator, which is rn based in Delphis LA headquarters. Delphi and Refactor a specific approach as we reimagine FIFA Games for the future, Merceron dropped in a statement.

Why This Matters

With small, elite teams of top-tier designer and developer talent, we can stay true to the core creative vision and serve the solid fandom of football. In a way, we are returning to the principles that made the solid football games of the past. Merceron before oversaw the Fox Engine, which was used for Pro Evolution Soccer / eFootball.

This is the kind of news that gets gamers talking across social media.