EA Sports and the international governing body of football, FIFA, have decided not to renew their partnership. Instead of FIFA 24, the established publisher will be launching EA Sports FC in the fall of 2023. In response, FIFA has announced their plans to develop their own game with the goal of surpassing the current industry leader. But what exactly is their strategy?
After three decades, the widely beloved FIFA series is coming to a close. The Canadian developers at EA Sports and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, commonly known as FIFA, are bringing their long-standing partnership to an end.
However, fans need not worry, as EA Sports will not be discontinuing their lucrative Ultimate Team mode, which was introduced as DLC in FIFA 09. Electronic Arts will undoubtedly release another football game in 2023, but it will bear a new name that we will need to become accustomed to. EA Sports FC will be their new flagship title. If you're interested in leaks, we're here to provide you with the latest updates:
However, what remains truly exciting is what we can anticipate from the World Football Federation. President Gianni Infantino, known for his wild promises, has announced that the FIFA will release the greatest football game ever. Wait, what?
FIFA 24 Release: FIFA President Infantino Wants To Develop "The Best" Game
The ending between EA's and FIFA's cooperation has been nothing short of a dramatic and long story. But in the end, the split probably came down to good old money. In a BBC Interview from May 2022, EA Vice President David Jackson said the federation created "some restrictions" for developers that kept them from improving "the experience for players" – but he also emphasized that "money plays a critical role in most negotiations".
Well... you don't say. FIFA vs. EA – we can't decide who could be better described by the word "greedy". If you want to read the whole story, you can find it here:
And it is also clear that a self-important guy like Infantino is not going to stay silent about the ending of the naming rights. We could see him sitting in his big fancy office saying things like, "tOdaY I fEel liKe a viDeO gAmE pUbLiSher". The FIFA President also dropped the following statement in May 2022:
I can assure you that the only authentic, real game that has the FIFA name will be the best one available for gamers and football fans. The FIFA name is the only global, original title [...] It will remain forever and remain the best."
So, just like the World Cup in Qatar was the best ever – we know your style, Gianni. But what we don't get is the concrete idea behind the statement. Because the upcoming competitor EA has already secured various licenses for their future.
Not only will stars and clubs remain in EA Sports FC, the Canadians are also breaking new ground when it comes to marketing. The naming rights of the Italian Supercoppa were bought and, on top of that, the Spanish La Liga will be called La Liga EA Sports FC from the 2023/24 season onward.
EA is buying their way into real world football to keep the fans and also to introduce their new name to the masses – and the FIFA? Well you might be surprised, but they've already launched their first games.
FIFA 25 Instead Of FIFA 24? It Doesn't Look To Good For 2023...
But the aforementioned are more... mini-games, or rather rough ideas of a football game. Like the World Cup Qatar 2022 in Upland Metaverse, for example – they want to sell “collectibles and items” to users who could then equip and review them in the Upland Metaverse. If you're into that...
Or the totally awesome virtual card game in cooperation with Matchday. Well, as FUT players, who also collect cards in the game, we'll take a break from hating, but come on... If anything, we need to see a simulation in which football can be played. Everything else is nonsense – and safe no competition to EA Sports FC.
Matchday Challenge: FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. Coming real soon pic.twitter.com/zIT6kcJtpC
— Matchday (@matchday) November 19, 2022
We won't bother you with more of these first test attempts of games. The important thing is: there is still no official statement from the FIFA in terms of partnerships with developers. Maybe Infantino thinks that with enough money, the game will magically appear by fall (that's almost how it worked out for him in Qatar). But EA Sports is 30 years ahead in terms of experience. We doubt that a new IP can be developed within a few months.
New Infantino Statement – Avoids Speaking About FIFA 24
In March 2023 Infantino gave a new statement about their plans. After being re-elected as President, he said that FIFA is "currently in talks with leading game publishers, media companies and investors to develop a new major FIFA football simulation game for 2024."
Ok. So, finally news on the football simulation. But 2024 doesn't sound too good, as FIFA 24 should be released this year. We already reported on Infantino's latest (strange) statement, but the key information is this:
"The new FIFA game – FIFA 25, 26, 27 and so on – will always be the best eGame for any girl or boy, we will have news about it very soon"
Yeah, yeah, we heard "the best" often enough now. With 2024, Infantino at least gives a rough date. However, the fact that it will not be released as scheduled in late summer or fall 2023 sounds more like a setback. And speculations still stay the same: Who will develop the FIFA game of the FIFA?
Konami, 2K Games – Or Who Else?
With the Ultimate Football League (UFL), another competitor is ready. This game will even be free-to-play, and certainly not quite as chic and polished as the EA product – but we will be able to play it without any extra costs.
A real coup by FIFA would be to hire EA's old nemesis. With Pro Evolution Soccer, the Japanese studio Konami has created the only viable competitor product to EA for years. However, since PES morphed into eFootball, the brand has pretty much died. Time for something new?
- Gear up: New PS5 controllers on Amazon
Or can 2K Games (yes, the NBA developers) surprise us all with a new football game? Well, we're drifting off into speculation. Either way, we're sure that the FIFA will need some help in order to develop their new best game. However, it is still unclear where said help should come from.