Kicking off FIFA World Cup 2022 celebrations
Google-owned navigation app Waze seems to have a knack for joining in on the festivities. In October, we saw the app offer a Halloween-themed navigation experience where you could team up with a member of the undead or a zombie survivalist to navigate the streets. Given that a worldwide celebration of soccer (or, “football,” in the rest of the world) — the 2022 FIFA World Cup — kicks off later this month, the app developers are offering an appropriately themed experience to spruce up your otherwise-mundane navigation directions.
People around the world look forward to the seeing their favorite teams compete in the tournament. Waze’s new navigation options are a pretty unique way to get closer to the sporting fervor, and eventually, your real-world destination.
With the new feature called Drive With a Soccer Commentator, you may hear instructions like “Take the first exit. Then it’s onward to glory!” as you approach a roundabout. When you’re nearing a hazard reported by a fellow Waze user, you may hear, “Hazard reported ahead. Getting through that defense could prove tricky.”
Waze users can even change their on-screen car into an “Automoball” — a car shaped like a soccer ball. In-app moods for all the 32 World Cup teams are available as well. This limited-time change has a special surprise for users in Brazil, where soccer is more than just a sport. They will get to enjoy the aforementioned route directions in the voice of veteran commentator and social media personality Luva de Pedreiro.
This new navigation feature is available worldwide under the My Waze menu. Supported languages include English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. It will be available until November 29 even though the FIFA World Cup final is scheduled for December 18. After that, you’ll have to take navigation directions in the comparatively ordinary voices of the Terminator, Boy George, or a cat, among others.
