It’s not just a casual name change. Yesterday, EA Sports formalized the future name of its famous football game, acronym FIFA since 1993 and an operating agreement with the world body, which will be called, after an ultimate FIFA 23, EA Sports FC. The consequence of a dismissal addressed by the American firm to FIFA led by Gianni Infantino. In recent years, EA Sports has been paying, as revealed by the New York Times150 million dollars to the International Federation to exploit its name.
In October 2021, EA Sports published a press release to express its doubts about the extension of this contract. A way to prepare consumers for a break, because behind the scenes, negotiations were going badly. FIFA has thus claimed 250 million dollars per year, or 1 billion over 4 years for the use of its acronym. After reflection, EA Sports therefore deemed that the price claimed was prohibitive. So make way for EA Sports FC, a name that is necessarily less impactful, which is already generating its flood of criticism on social networks.
The strong reaction of FIFA
But this announcement above all provoked a scathing response from FIFA. « FIFA is diversifying its video game offer and offering new football games, alongside the EA SPORTS franchise »can we read as the title of the long press release, which includes some statements by Gianni Infantino. “I can assure you that the only authentic and real game that bears the FIFA name will be the best available to gamers and football fans. The name FIFA is the only global and original title. FIFA 23, FIFA 24, FIFA 25 and FIFA 26, and so on – the constant is the name FIFA and it will forever remain and remain THE BEST. »
FIFA will take advantage of the end of its commercial link with EA Sports to first develop other football games by 2024.“The extension recently negotiated with EA SPORTS concerns only the category “simulation”. This arrangement will be an opportunity to expand FIFA’s range of video game rights and to consider, with other video game publishers, new and ever more immersive experiences for football fans and players. » Then it will be time to find a new studio capable of creating the future FIFA 24, 25 and so on. “Not content with expanding its gaming offering in 2022 and 2023, FIFA is currently in talks with major game publishers, media companies and investors for the creation of a new simulation game in 2024.”
EA Sports has a big head start
After the war between EA Sports and Konami (with its Pro Evolution Soccer franchise) to attract as many players as possible, we are therefore heading towards a fierce battle between EA Sports and FIFA. But the International Football Federation starts from much further than the American studio. The latter, backed by agreements made with all the partners and players in the world of football, keeps control of the licenses for the major championships, the use of players’ names and their faces, stadiums, competitions such as the League of Champions and of course on its gameplay which will offer the usual game modes, including Ultimate Team.
EA Sports also demonstrated its power on social networks yesterday. Several major European clubs, including Real Madrid, PSG, have shared the official communication of the future name change. With their support, numerous licenses, 29 years of experience and a huge community of players, EA Sports has plenty to see. How will the name change impact sales? This is the big question, while waiting to see how FIFA will manage to have its own operated by a different studio. After years of total domination of the FIFA license operated by EA, a new war of football simulations is coming from 2024.