Sweet. It already looked like a breath of fresh air after the NSMB rehashes, but if it’s getting it’s own direct, Nintendo must have really put a lot of love into this one. Can’t wait!

The Pillars of Eternity games provide some of what you’re looking for, as they’re heavily inspired by the old Baldur’s Gate games (which were themselves built on D&D).

In general, yes; however, that leg up in most of our sports leagues is through player drafts. Since most good players in soccer don’t go through US college athletics, that usual leg up doesn’t mean nearly as much.

And yeah, you’re right on the money on the teams vs leagues thing; the leagues in most US sports tend to wield quite a bit of power over franchises, and negotiate labor contracts directly with player unions. MLS is a wonky outlier in many ways (largely because America doesn’t have a near-monopoly on top talent like it does in some other sports), but the league itself is definitely seen as a priority over any one club.