Barça Games is here, the world's first videogaming platform created by a sports club

Last November 2023, FC Barcelona announced the upcoming launch of Barça Games, the world's first video gaming platform created by a sports club. Finally this Wednesday 24 July, the new platform was is here, the result of a collaboration between the club, Mas Ros Media and FiReSPORTS. The launch is part of the club's clear commitment to the creation of digital entertainment content, and to reaching out to new audiences and new generations.

The Barça Games launch was held in the Auditori 1899 on the FC Barcelona grounds, and was also broadcast live on Barça One. It was attended by the president of FC Barcelona, ​​Joan Laporta, the director of Barça Vision and the club's general director for APAC and Americas, ​​​​Bryan Bachner, as well as other representatives of FC Barcelona, plus Marcelo Liberini, general director of FOC Games, Marcos Santana, founder of Mas Ros Media, and Rodrigo Figueroa Reyes, founder and CEO of FiReSPORT.

In his welcome speech, Laporta highlighted that the creation of Barça Games "is part of the club's clear commitment to the digital realm, which is so essential for our future strategy … last April, the club's new streaming platform, Barça One, was presented, and today, three months later, we are launching Barça Games … Our ambition is to continue being leaders in the face of new opportunities and to promote the construction of the Barça Digital Space, grouping all our fans around the world in the same digital community and also reinforcing their sense of belonging to FC Barcelona.”

For his part, Bachner spoke about the growth that the entertainment industry has undergone in recent years and the huge expectations surrounding everything in the field. "We are very proud to welcome the Barça Games platform as another project within Barça Vision" he said. "It is based on a joint venture that will foster a more vibrant and committed digital community around the club."

Virtual Masia for Culer gamers

The platform, which is presented in app format and is out now for iOS and Android devices, combines traditional sports with gaming. Users will be able to play their favourite video games, enter tournaments, socialise with other Barça fans, and much more. With the aim of transforming Barça Games into the largest gaming nursery in the world, the app also has two virtual hosts, Pau and Gemma, who play a key role in spotting the best players, as well as the most talented content creators.

The event also included a technical explanation of how the app works. Liberini, of FOC Games, gave the details of what the user will find after downloading the app. "Users need to complete missions to win reward" he said. "They will find two sections, one more oriented toward casual players and a second for more hardcore users that will include official Barça Games tournaments.” The introduction concluded with a live sample of what a Rocket League game looks like on the Barça Games app.