After nearly 30 years of partnership, FIFA and Electronic Arts have confirmed they will split. This news comes in the wake of EA’s recent announcement of EA Sports FC, a new football game that is set to rival FIFA. FIFA has since announced it will launch its own rival game, which is sure to cause huge competition in the gaming world. This is definitely an exciting development to watch!
The company has insisted that despite detaching from the FIFA brand, their games will not change dramatically. With over 300 licensing deals behind the games, ‘the same great experiences, modes, leagues, tournaments, clubs and athletes’ will all be portrayed in EA Sports FC, they stated.
FIFA also chimed in with a statement claiming the split from EA will allow new football video games to be developed with third-party publishers, which will ultimately ‘provide more choice for football and gaming fans’. The news of the split between the two brands comes in the lead-up to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and will sure to be an exciting time for gaming fans around the world. Stay tuned to see how this story develops!
FIFA’s chief commercial officer, Philippe Le Floc’h, said in a statement: “FIFA has been a key partner of EA for almost three decades and we are proud of what we have achieved together. “However, the FIFA brand has grown significantly in that time and our ambition is to ensure FIFA is one of the biggest sports and entertainment brands in the world. This means giving fans more choice when it comes to how they access FIFA content.”
EA Sports’ vice president and general manager, Cam Weber, said: “We are proud of our long-standing partnership with FIFA and the role we have played in helping to grow FIFA as a global sport. We will continue to deliver extraordinary football experiences for our players, powered by our industry-leading Frostbite engine.”
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.”
Football clubs like Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool FC have contributed to the discussions of the split on Twitter, posting a tweet with the caption ‘ We’re In The Club. Learn More July 2023’ #EASPORTSFC
Nous sommes dans Le Club
Plus d’informations en Juillet 2023#EASPORTSFC pic.twitter.com/RbbIHOQWfq— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) May 10, 2022
We’re In The Club.
Learn More July 2023. #EASPORTSFC pic.twitter.com/xtFM21zoPN
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) May 10, 2022
FIFA’s chief competitors will now be Pro Evolution Soccer (PES), Konami’s football game, as well as EA Sports FC. It is not yet clear how this split will affect the future of the FIFA gaming franchise, but we will be sure to keep you updated with all the latest developments. Stay tuned!
What are your thoughts on this news? Are you excited for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022? Let us know in the comments below!
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