3 downs 3-D: Canadian football video game set for release

It lacks the official licensing of the CFL, but a company is weeks away from releasing a Canadian football video game.

Peterborough, Ont. based Canuck Play is waiting for final approval of “Canadian Football 2017”, which would be available on Xbox One and eventually PC.

“It’s something we have been trying to get done for a while,” said David Winter, president of Canuck Play. “We started building the game in 2015 so it has been in development for almost 18 months.”

Winter’s past experience includes work on more well-known sports games like the Madden football and FIFA soccer series. He was also the designer of the only official CFL game ever made, “CFL 99”.

From three-downs to the rouge, Winter says all the rules of the Canadian game are there. During production, the team consulted with Canadian Football experts for input and help drawing up plays that would be seen in a real game.

But because it is not an official CFL game, real teams and player names can not legally be included. That means Riders fans will have to use their imagination.

“In the game, the team is called the Saskatchewan Knights, the colours are still green and white with a design of our own,” Winter said. “The stadium is heavily inspired by the one in Regina with a few changes.”

For those who choose to buy the PC version and are a little more tech-savvy, there is a way to put your favourite team in the game. Though not technically endorsed.

“Our team files are open source so really anyone with basic knowledge of editing could change the logos (in game) to anything they want.”

The game is currently in the certification process with Microsoft with a potential release as early as June 22.