Midway announced today that it is developing Blitz: The League. This game was tentatively titled Blitz: Playmakers late last year. Blitz: The League is unlicenced and focuses on realism and the behind-the-scenes stories of a fictional professional football league. With the talent of one of the writers resposible for ESPN's Playmakers TV series last year, the game will touch on areas of professional football rarely treaded by videogames, including on-field violence, off-field fallout and front-office politics.

"Midway's Chicago studio has laid the foundation over the past year for what is the ultimate alternative to watered down NFL sanctioned football games," said Steve Allison, chief marketing officer of Midway. "No longer bound to the NFL license, there will be no league restrictions on content and gamers will finally experience what makes playing a football videogame really fun: off-field controversies, dirty hits, excessive celebrations and much more. Blitz: The League buyers will be assured of one thing - our game will include all the gameplay and fun the NFL won't allow."

Blitz: The League will release in Winter of 2005 for "multiple videogame console platforms".