New Trend in Football Gaming: Copa City Shifts the Spotlight Off the Pitch.

Roger Hampel

Credit: Triple Espresso

Over the past few years, the “tycoon” genre – management and economic simulation games – has enjoyed a global renaissance. According to Statista data from Q3 2023, simulation games ranked as the third most popular genre among players aged 16–34, trailing only shooters and action games. Among players aged 35–64, they placed comfortably in the top five.

The message is clear: simulation games now attract a wide demographic – from young strategists to adult players seeking satisfaction not from adrenaline, but from planning, optimization, and control. From airport simulators to city builders, more players prefer to create and manage rather than merely participate.

Naturally, the next frontier for the genre is its crossover with real-world industries – and sport is the latest to join the movement. This is where Copa City enters the scene: a project that redefines what “football gaming” can mean.

Football Without the Ball: What Is Copa City?

Copa City is the first football tycoon game in history that shifts the focus away from the pitch and toward everything happening around it.

Instead of managing a team, the player takes on the role of a matchday coordinator — the person responsible for the entire event and its seamless flow. It’s their job to ensure that the city and stadium pulse with football energy long before the first ball is kicked. The goal isn’t to score a goal, but to create the perfect ecosystem for a football fiesta — an event that runs smoothly and leaves a lasting memory.

The player plans fan zones, manages crowd flow, oversees security teams, and curates the experience for different types of supporters — from ultras to stadium tourists — while responding to dynamic situations such as weather changes or unexpected incidents.

As the project’s co-founders explain, Copa City is a game that “ends where EA FC begins.” You could even say that while EA FC tells the story of football through the 90 minutes on the pitch, Copa City reveals what happens during the other 167 hours of the week.

Credit: Triple Espresso

All Roads Lead to the Stadium

In Copa City, the stadium is the beating heart of every event. It’s a place that must be prepared, optimized, and brought to life. The player manages ticket sales points, fan sectors, and exclusive modules that boost attendance and excitement, while also running on-site marketing campaigns to maximize revenue. They must ensure the perfect condition of the pitch, facilities, and locker rooms so that every matchday unfolds without a hitch — and the roar of the stands feels truly earned.

Every game needs its own “endgame” — and in Copa City, the player is the game orchestrator, with the stadium full of fans as the stage.

Every decision — from choosing which teams to invite to the city, to mapping out safe routes for fans to reach the stadium — shapes how the spectacle unfolds when the crowd starts singing and the floodlights illuminate the pitch.

Everything builds up to a single moment — the first whistle. After dozens of decisions and hours of preparation, the player finally witnesses the result of their work: a packed stadium, chants echoing through the air, flags waving, and the deafening roar of the fans. It’s the culmination of all organizational effort — a moment of pride, relief, and joy when everything runs perfectly and the stadium comes alive with its own rhythm.

“This is the ultimate goal of Copa City — to give players the same emotion felt by those working behind the scenes of a real match: that moment when teamwork, passion, and matchday chaos transform into a pure celebration of football.”— explains Anna Szamowska, CMO of Triple Espresso.

Completely New Football Gaming Category

The creators behind Copa City emphasize that no one has ever built a strategic football game from this perspective.

“We’re creating a new category of sports gaming — a mix of city simulator, management tycoon, and cultural event. Copa City captures football from the street, the stadium, and the fan zone — from the hundreds of decisions that make a match possible”— say the founders of Triple Espresso exclusively for Football Business Journal.

The Triple Espresso founders are well known in Polish football environment. Jakub Szumielewicz, former vice president of Legia Warsaw, and Bogusław Leśnodorski, former president and co-owner of the club, are jointly developing a gaming project with global ambitions. They are supported by industry expert Dominik Ebebenge, who brings a 360-degree view of modern football through his work experience with Legia Warsaw and Raków Częstochowa. Together, they combine club management experience with a vision for a globally scalable product.

In addition, the team consists of experienced gaming industry experts who have previously worked with renowned studios such as Ubisoft, Techland, CD Projekt RED, 11 bit studios, and EA Sports. Among them are co-creators of major titles like The Witcher, Dying Light 2, Watch Dogs, Frostpunk, Pure Farming 2018, Builder Simulator, and Airport Sim.

Production of Copa City is led by Leksa Gornovitz (Platige Image, Flying Wild Hog, All In! Games), marketing is overseen by Anna Szamowska (Techland, Ubisoft), programming by Dawid Płowiec, game design by Aleksandra Godlewska, and art direction by Daniel Tyka.

The management proudly notes that assembling such a highly experienced team is a major success and one of the project’s greatest assets. The fusion of deep gaming expertise with the board’s football background has created a remarkable synergy — Copa City embodies the best of both worlds.

“The worlds of gaming and sport share much in common — in both, achieving success requires a winning team.” - highlights Jakub Szumielewicz, CEO of Triple Espresso

Official Partnerships and Authenticity

One of Copa City’s pillars is authenticity through licensing. The game is being developed in collaboration with leading clubs such as Arsenal FC, FC Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Beşiktaş, and Flamengo. It also features faithfully recreated venues, including Warsaw’s National Stadium and Berlin’s Olympiastadion.

“Partnerships with clubs are crucial — they allow us to recreate the real emotions of matchday. We’re open to expanding our roster and collaborating with more clubs worldwide,”— says Dominik Ebebenge, Co-Founder and Vice CEO at Triple Espresso.

Each club contributes its unique fan culture, influencing in-game crowd behavior — from chants and banners to the nuances of local fan rituals. This adds both emotional and logistical complexity, transforming each matchday into a living, breathing event.

Research from The Sport Journal (Vol. 24, 2021) found that most sports gamers say video games increase their interest in real-world clubs and leagues. Copa City embraces this dynamic in one of the most realistic ways yet.

Newly released gameplay visuals from the latest build of the game  Image: Triple Espresso

Football Insiders Back Copa City

Copa City’s investor lineup brings together every corner of professional football — from players on the pitch to owners and boardroom leaders, including:

• Michał Świerczewski, Owner of Polish 2023 Polish Ekstraklasa Champion Raków Częstochowa

• Jakub Moder (Player of Feyenoord Rotterdam and Poland’s National Team)

• Jakub Kiwior and Jan Bednarek (Players of FC Porto and Poland’s National Team)

• Michał Żewłakow, Legia Warsaw’s Sporting Director

• Mateusz Klich, ex. Leeds United and Atlanta United FC Player (Currently Cracovia)

“We deeply value the investors who already believe in our project, and we remain open to new partners who want to be part of the next chapter in football gaming”— notes Triple Espresso’s board.

Merging football expertise with entrepreneurial capital has given Copa City both credibility and commercial depth. It’s worth mentioning that Poland has become one of Europe’s leading gaming powerhouses, boasting over 500 studios and globally acclaimed brands such as CD Projekt RED, Techland, and 11 bit studios. Copa City bridges two of the most dynamic industries — sport and technology — into a single product with global potential.

Warsaw & Berlin in the Copa City Game | Image: Triple Espresso

The Gen Z Challenge

Studies from YouGov and Sports Business Journal reveal a concerning trend: live sports viewership is declining among younger audiences. Only 31% of people aged 18–24 watch live matches, compared with 75% in the 55+ age group. Over half of Gen Z has never attended a live sporting event, and just 53% identify as sports fans — versus 69% among millennials.

This presents a major challenge for football clubs, which must rethink how they engage the next generation. Copa City could become part of that solution, merging football with immersive, interactive digital experiences.

“We see Copa City as genuine value for clubs — especially when it comes to reaching younger audiences. Gen Z lives inside games. For clubs and sponsors, this is where they need to be”— explains co-founders of the studio.

According to EA Sports data, in-game interactions increase the likelihood of buying a ticket by 18% and of subscribing to sports TV by 21% (Sports Business Journal, 2024). The conclusion is simple: sports games convert players into real fans. Copa City goes one step further, offering clubs a new way to build emotional and authentic fan relationships.

In-Game Sponsorships: The Next Frontier

Viewed through a football business lens, Copa City introduces a new frontier in marketing and fan engagement for clubs and sponsors alike. Virtual matchday environments could host digital activations, branded spaces, and interactive sponsorships with measurable impact.

A SPORTFIVE report (Gaming & Sponsorship Synergy, 2023) found that sports gamers are 20% more positively inclined toward sponsors than the average gamer. Meanwhile, YouGov Sports Index (2024) shows that 62% of sports gamers view club sponsors more favorably — a 170% higher rate than in the general population.

In a world where attention has shifted to digital spaces, Copa City may represent the next generation of sponsorship, blending real and virtual football in ways that are both emotional and quantifiable.

Credit: Triple Espresso

Market Potential and Long-Term Vision

Copa City is slated for release in March 2026 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Already, over 200,000 Steam users have wishlisted the game, positioning it as one of the most anticipated debuts in the strategy genre.

Triple Espresso emphasizes that the goal isn’t to launch a one-off title, but to establish a new sports-strategy gaming category. Expansion plans include new cities, clubs, and potential DLCs extending into other sports.

The founders envision future editions tied to global tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro, Asian Cup, and Copa America. Long-term, they aim to develop the Copa ecosystem—a universe of games and brand activations spanning sports, cities, and commerce.

Moreover, the project’s board look with great excitement toward the FIFA World Cup 2034 in Saudi Arabia and the development of futuristic cities such as Qiddiya and NEOM, which could naturally become inspiring locations and experiences in future editions of Copa City.

"Football is more than 90 minutes on the pitch: it’s emotion, chaos, community, business, and logistics. Copa City offers a chance to experience all of that from a more grounded, authentic perspective. That’s our mission: to show football as it really is from the inside out," conclude the founders of Triple Espresso.

The Rise of Simulation Games: Context for Copa City

According to Mordor Intelligence (2024–2030), the global simulation games market will grow from $9.3 billion in 2025 to $17.4 billion in 2030 (CAGR: 13.3%). Market Research Future (2023) projects similar annual growth at approximately 14%.

In the U.S., 34% of teens and 22% of adults play simulation games (YouGov, 2023). Polish-made titles such as Frostpunk, Car Mechanic Simulator, and House Flipper have sold over 4 million units (Polish Gamedev Report, 2024).

Newzoo’s Global Games Market Report (2024) highlights a rising preference among gamers for realistic, immersive, and strategic experiences over pure action.

In this light, Copa City not only rides the wave of a growing genre but redefines it—fusing sport, economy, and culture into one cohesive, interactive experience. In a world where sport, technology, and entertainment are increasingly intertwined, Copa City may well emerge as the catalyst of a new era in football gaming—one that shifts the center of gravity from the pitch to the city.