As the year continues withFIFA 22, it is now clear that the EA brand associated with the beloved soccer franchise will be a thing of the past. The partnership between the two entities is officially done, asElectronic Arts officially ended its deal with FIFAin order to focus on rebranding for a new soccer title.
It’s a move that has been speculated for months, and rumors circulated followingFIFA’s demands of $1 billion from EA every four years to retain the FIFA brand. A title change was in the air at the same time, withEA Sports FCbecoming trademarked by the company ahead of any confirmation of a partnership ending.
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As EA Sports transitions to a new era of soccer gaming, FIFA is striking its own chord by seeking new third-party developers to work with. Rumors are coming to the surface that FIFA plans to work on future soccer games, along with other non-simulation games, with some already in the works and set for an announcement in the third quarter of 2022. Whilethe high-price tag to retain the FIFA brandis ultimately the issue that created the rift between the two companies, FIFA president Gianni Infantino promises that the new brand of soccer gaming that will likely take the world by storm will contain the FIFA brand.
Alongside the plans for multiple non-simulation projects out of FIFA, it has also granted EA a short-term extension tolaunch a newFIFA 23title later this year, which plans to feature both the men’s and women’s FIFA World Cup competitions at the same time. EA has also claimed it has deals in place with the English Premier League and UEFA for future installments of itsEA Sports FCbranding. The new extension with EA SPORTS grants rights for the simulation football category only, allowing FIFA and any third-party gaming developers to produce and launch new games that are non-sports related.
The new licensing model is non-exclusive and is derived from lengthy discussions between EA Sports and FIFA, specifically concerning FIFA’s future in the gaming world. FIFA plans to work with several partners instead of settling down with one publisher to avoid becoming locked into another long-term arrangement. FIFA is currently involved with multiple publishers, investors, and media companies to develop a new soccer simulation game, set for release in 2024. Infantino added that future strategies will revolve around ensuring the best overall experience in all games released by the company to please its player base.FIFA 23, which is currently in development, is rumored for release during the summer of 2023.
FIFA 23is currently being developed for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
