Ubisoft announced today that its new Vancouver studio is hard at work on its first title, an arcade soccer game entitled Academy of Champions. The development team at Ubisoft Vancouver is made up of a number of experienced sports game developers, and they are working to make Academy of Champions a game that “engages players in a rich, story-driven adventure” all centred around soccer.

“We made our mark in the sports genre last year with the global success of Shaun White Snowboarding,” stated Yves Guillemot, chief executive officer at Ubisoft. “Now, with Academy of Champions, Ubisoft offers another sports game with a fresh approach that has something unique to offer young gamers and sports fans.”

Academy of Champions puts you into the cleats of a fledgling soccer player enrolling at the Brightfield Academy, where your coach is Pelé, and soccer champion Mia Hamm is your teammate and mentor. You'll get to work on your skills, recruit new team members and put together the best possible soccer squad to blow away the rival Academy and win the championship cup.

“Soccer is a sport that is universally celebrated by all citizens of the world,” said legendary sports icon Pelé. “Working with Ubisoft to continue to promote the sport has been a wonderful experience. It is a thrill to continue to inspire a new generation of fans through an entertainment medium that introduces them to the exciting world of soccer.”

Can you tell which is Pelé and which is Mia Hamm?

Academy of Champions will be compatible with the Wii Balance Board and Wii MotionPlus, and will include interesting environments, innovative challenges and, as you would expect with arcade style sports games, over-the-top gameplay. Academy of Champions is scheduled to release some time later this year for Wii (and likely in some fashion on Nintendo DS) and is not yet rated.