EA’s announcement that FIFA 23 will be its last game to carry the FIFA name has confused some fans. The series is one of the most popular in the world, so surely EA isn’t canceling FIFA, is it? The answer is somewhat complex, and the rebrand to EA Sports FC means its approach to its annual football game franchise will definitely be changing.
What is EA Sports FC, and is FIFA canceled?
The FIFA series isn’t canceled, but it won’t be named “FIFA” anymore. EA and FIFA didn’t see eye-to-eye when it came time to negotiate licensing, so EA stepped away from the table and decided to go its own way. So, it’ll be branded as EA Sports FC from now on.
Despite the name change, the game won’t be missing a ton of content. EA negotiates the usage of athletes, stadiums, and clubs separately, so they’ll still appear as expected. In fact, the partnership with FIFA limited EA from using certain brands. For example, FIFA has a deal with Adidas, so the game couldn’t contain Nike equipment. Now that the two have split, EA is free from those stipulations.
Will there be a new FIFA game?
While there won’t be any future FIFA branded games coming from EA Sports, the organization intends to lend its name to another developer. After EA announced the split, FIFA president Gianni Infantino stated:
“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. FIFA 23, FIFA 24, FIFA 25, and FIFA 26, and so on – the constant is the FIFA name, and it will remain forever and remain THE BEST.”
So, it’ll come down to whether EA or FIFA garners more brand loyalty. It looks like the two will go head to head sometime in 2024.
