You may not have heard of developers Julián Cordero and Sebastián Valbuena, but you probably know of the publisher Panic as those who pushed Firewatch and Untitled Goose Game to the world. Whatever, we think you will want to know more about their soccer game about people, despelote.Â
Promising to deliver a unique slice of life adventure that focuses on the community, the people and the magic of soccer, despelote is a new first person adventure game which whisks us off to the year 2001, as Ecuador are found to be on the verge of qualifying for the World Cup. It’s here where you join the like of Julián.
Due to launch in early 2024 on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PC, despelote will have you learning more about Julián, a young bot who is growing up in his hometown of Quito in Ecuador. With excitement building for the upcoming World Cup, it’s up to you to help this kid explore the world, getting up to no good with mates and trying to understand why Quito is what it is. You’ll most do this by kicking a football around, utilising first-person controls and satisfying physics as you go about dribbling, passing and shooting your way through town.
Announced as part of the 2023 Tribeca Festival’s official Game Selections lineup, despelote has roots firmly placed in Ecuadorian culture. The time and place are right, but you’ll also find that all voice acting in despelote is performed in Spanish, with translated subtitles, and ambient sound effects throughout the world that have been recorded by the team in Ecuador. The distinctive look of the game also comes from the real photos taken by the team during their time in Quito that have been used as textures for buildings and more.
“We’ve been pretty quiet since launching Untitled Goose Game and announcing Nour: Play With Your Food, but we’ve been actively taking pitches these past few years,” says Nick Suttner, Head of Publishing at Panic. “We were really taken with despelote when it came our way – a deeply transportive love letter to a particular time and place, told in such a wry, charming way that it manages to feel universal at the same time. We’re so proud to be able to help bring it to the world. (And we have a bunch more game announcements coming later this year – this is just the start!)”
When despelote releases in 2024 on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PC, you should expect to find the following key features…
- A bittersweet and sometimes dreamy semi-autobiographical tale of youth.
- Explore a dense town space at your leisure, full of activities, interactions, and mischief to get up to.
- A physics-based soccer ball that feels good to kick around in a first-person perspective.
- A vibrant world full of characters that have funny, and genuine conversations.
- Photos and audio recorded on location in Ecuador are used to create a strong sense of place.
Take in the trailer and let us know your thoughts. It’s got a Steam page if you want to get wishlisting.
