Collaboration aims to create synergy across mobility, sports and gaming

[Provided by Hyundai Motor Co]
[Provided by Hyundai Motor Co]

Hyundai Motor Co announced Wednesday that it will collaborate with global game developer Epic Games as the official mobility partner of FIFA World Cup 2026. Through World Cup-themed in-game events in Rocket League and Fortnite, Hyundai Motor aims to connect with football fans and gamers around the world.

Having sponsored the FIFA World Cup for roughly 27 years since 1999, the automaker said the partnership is designed to deliver a new kind of brand experience by bringing together mobility, sports and gaming.

From Thursday through July 19, Hyundai Motor will introduce an Ioniq 6 N Line vehicle item and a World Cup sponsorship decal in Rocket League, the dynamic soccer game played with cars. During that period, players can choose one of the 48 nations that qualified for the World Cup and compete as that country's representative. Goals scored in matches accumulate points for the chosen nation, and the country with the highest total at the end wins.

The collaboration extends beyond the digital realm. Hyundai Motor plans to run World Cup-themed exhibitions at all Hyundai Motorstudio locations, with dedicated gaming experience zones in Goyang and Busan. Players who complete 10 quests during the event period will receive the Ioniq 6 N Line vehicle item, and those who drive the car 8,000 meters or more in-game will unlock the World Cup sponsorship decal.

"If the World Cup is the biggest stage uniting football fans around the world, Rocket League and Fortnite are platforms where millions of gamers connect every day," said Ji Seong-won, executive vice president and head of brand marketing at Hyundai Motor. "Through this collaboration, we look forward to engaging more deeply with fans worldwide at the intersection of mobility, sports and gaming during the World Cup."

Hyundai Motor will also run weekly missions in Fortnite, Epic Games' flagship battle royale title, from June 25 through July 19. Players who complete the missions can earn an Ioniq 6 N Line vehicle item — usable as a key mode of in-game transportation — along with the World Cup sponsorship decal.

Hyundai Motor has been actively expanding its football marketing into mobile gaming to reach digital-native audiences. In April, the company ran the "Hyundai Next Cup Tour" event in Top Eleven, a mobile football management game.


likehyo85@heraldcorp.com