Hooligans headed to the US

Canadian game publisher Hip Interactive has announced Hooligans, its upcoming real-time strategy game based on soccer riots. Players will control their own gang of lawless soccer fans, and they must battle rival gangs to prove that their gang is the toughest. The game lets players expand their gang's territory, loot local shops for money and supplies, and take over local pubs to woo new members by buying rounds of beer and leading chants. Players must also elude local law enforcement forces and riot squads to avoid getting thrown in jail.

"People find riots fascinating," said Michael Haines, senior vice president at Hip Interactive. "Hooligans gives us some insight into the method behind what most people think of as riot chaos and does a great job of exposing these strategies in a humorous manner without glorifying it."

The game will include 11 single-player missions set in locations across Europe. Mission objectives will include gaining access to a rival gang's football stadium and protecting a team bus from rival fans. The game will also include a "riot mode" that lets up to four players compete at one time.

Hooligans was developed by Holland-based Darxabre and is scheduled for release near the end of June.