Joycity will use the intellectual property (IP) of Major League Soccer (MLS) players in its new title 'Freestyle Football 2'. It plans to go beyond directly copying real players’ names and appearances and instead rebuild them as characters tailored to the game’s graphics and play style.

Joycity said on Sept. 14 it signed an official licensing partnership for 'Freestyle Football 2' with the Major League Soccer Players Association (MLSPA) and OneTeam Partners.

Under the deal, Joycity secured rights to use the names, jersey numbers and images of MLSPA players in the game. It plans to introduce selected MLS players as playable characters in 'Freestyle Football 2'.

Players appearing in the game will be made differently from simply applying real player data to a roster. Joycity plans to reinterpret each player’s traits in the game’s graphic style and apply individual skills and appearances suited to fast-paced matches.

Joycity plans to gradually reveal the list of participating players, along with character artwork and in-game play information.

The deal was brokered by OneTeam Partners, which handles group player licensing for the MLSPA. OneTeam Partners runs licensing businesses using professional athletes’ likenesses and related IP.

Park Jun-seung (박준승), head of strategic business at Joycity, said the collaboration with the MLSPA and OneTeam Partners will allow the company to bring real professional player IP into the game. He said Joycity will implement the selected MLS players as characters that fit the game’s identity.

Dan Jones, chief operating officer at the MLSPA, said the cooperation with Joycity will give players a chance to meet soccer fans worldwide in a different way.