Fans can expect a new and totally authentic look to their equestrian eGame experience with the release of the official FEI Equestriad™ World Tour version in May. The game, which targets horse lovers of all ages, has a potential global audience of over three billion gamers in more than 175 countries.
Developed by GoGallop Studios, a leading publisher in the mobile game world, the FEI Equestriad™ World Tour simulates an Eventing competition where horse and athlete combinations compete across the three tests of Dressage, Cross Country and Jumping.
The FEI has entered into a five-year licensing agreement with GoGallop Studios, giving the Australian-based company exclusive rights across the eGaming sphere to the FEI Brand as well as the FEI named Series and Competitions. First launched in November 2020, the Equestriad™ World Tour has already seen over 1.4 million downloads and plans are already underway to release FEI branded Jumping and Dressage Events within the game.
“This agreement with GoGallop Studios is a unique opportunity to take our sport to a more global and diverse audience,” FEI Commercial Director Ralph Straus said.
“We are looking forward to working closely with GoGallop, a company with a stellar reputation for developing authentic and realistic online gaming experiences.
“The sport will definitely benefit from having a deeper level of fan engagement, particularly with Generation Z who play a vital role in the ongoing growth and sustainability of our sport. It will also enable us to connect in a unique way with this audience to convey know-how on the topics of horse welfare and horsemanship.”
To bring a greater sense of realism and player immersion to the game, the FEI Equestriad™ World Tour already features the 5* star Eventing competitions at Badminton, Burghley, Kentucky and Adelaide. It also includes world-renowned Eventing course designers, such as Mike Etherington-Smith, Captain Mark Phillips and Ian Stark, as well as top athletes like five-time Olympian Ingrid Klimke (GER) and three-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Jung and their horses.
“The majority of games that have been made in the equestrian space have been based more around the fantasy horse world,” Craig Laughton CEO of GoGallop Studios explained.
“One of the key things that we’re doing, and why this game stands out from all others, is the authenticity of the game and the FEI Equestriad™ World Tour gives a real grassroots voice to the global equestrian community and horse lovers in general.
“We’re taking the cutting edge in game design and technology and bringing it to equestrian games. And if this new game can inspire the next generation of Eventers to get out there and have a go, what an awesome thing that would be!”
After an introduction to the basics of horsemanship and once they have honed their skills in qualifying events, players can progress to 5* Eventing where they are evaluated on timing, control and even appearance. The more players train and nurture their horses, the better their horse will perform. Players can compete in solo career mode or team competitions with family and friends as well as with other gamers from across the globe.
While current customisation features allow for the creation of unique elements such as styles of clothes, horse face markings, patterns and breed, the FEI Equestriad™ World Tour will also have hundreds of unlockable items available to discover horse accessories, supplies, ribbons and prizes. The game’s new “Tack Shop” also allows users to download avatars of the world’s top Eventing riders and their horses.
The game is available for download on the Apple Store and Google Play.
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