EA Sports announced this week that FIFA 22, which will be released later this year, will be the final one made with the FIFA label, ending a nearly three-decade partnership.
The game, which normally comes out late every summer, features leagues and teams from across the world. The game reportedly brings in millions in revenue for FIFA.
EA Sports says its FIFA line of games has more than 150 million players across the world.
In lieu of the EA Sports partnership with FIFA, the video game company said it will begin releasing EA Sports FC in 2023. EA Sports said it has secured licensing agreements with top leagues, including UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, CONMEBOL Libertadores, Premier League, Bundesliga, LaLiga, Serie A and MLS.
EA Sports FC will include 700 teams from across the world from more than 30 leagues.
“Our vision for EA SPORTS FC is to create the largest and most impactful football club in the world, at the epicenter of football fandom,” said Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson. “For nearly 30 years, we’ve been building the world’s biggest football community - with hundreds of millions of players, thousands of athlete partners, and hundreds of leagues, federations, and teams. EA SPORTS FC will be the club for every one of them, and for football fans everywhere.”
With EA Sports and FIFA expiring their relationship, FIFA-sanctioned events, such as the World Cup, will no longer be on EA Sports’ soccer video game.
Striking a defiant tone, FIFA President Gianni Infantino promised a video game that would more than compete against EA Sports FC.
"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,” he said. “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."
FIFA said several non-simulation games using the FIFA branding will come out later this year and in 2023. A full-simulation game using the FIFA moniker could come by 2024.
