Rovio starts hiring for an ambitious new free-to-play football mobile game

Rovio is not done trying to evolve beyond Angry Birds. A new job listing has revealed that the Sega-owned studio is hiring a General Manager for a new free-to-play football mobile game based out of Barcelona. The project is described as a Tier 1 title with high ambition, which suggests Rovio is not simply building a small seasonal spin-off. Football is a dangerous genre to enter because EA Sports FC Mobile, eFootball, Dream League Soccer and regional sports titles already fight hard for player time.

But it is also one of the few genres with truly global mobile potential. Rovio’s challenge will be identity. If this is not an Angry Birds football game, it needs a hook strong enough to compete with licensed teams, player-card economies and years of football live-ops learning from established rivals.