Everything You need to know about EA’s Football Game After the Split from FIFA
On the 10th of May, the split between EA and FIFA was announced. The split came after almost 30 years of working well together. Their first game was launched in 1993 and has been played over 35 million and sold 325 million copies over 29 years. The cumulative revenue as of 2020 was estimated to be $5.6 billion.
With money like that in this relationship, it was no surprise that it was also the cause of the split between the two super companies. The New York Times reported that FIFA wanted to increase its license fee from $500 million to $1 billion. This is double the amount EA was paying every four years.
According to the agreement, FIFA 23 will be released in the last months of 2022, including the Women’s World Cup for the first time. Once that is done, the divorce will be complete.
What’s Next
EA will be known as EA Sports FC as early as 2023. On the other hand, FIFA will continue to use its license to produce football games, so it looks like whoever picks up the publishing gig will be in direct competition; maybe they could look at partnering with Evolution gaming or Sports Interactive. This should be interesting as EA has developed a superb game with impeccable graphics and animation, which has gained them an enormous following.
A comforting thought is that EA Sports created great sports games long before their union with FIFA in 1993. Their motto “if it’s in the game, it’s in the game” has been evident from the days of John Madden Football which was based on American Football. EA Sports has been precise with their innovations, from adding live commentary to their FIFA series and introducing a title song for each game.
EA CEO Andrew Wilson has reassured fans that it’s full steam ahead for EA Sports. He and his team will continue providing innovative and authentic experiences for their audiences. The new game will have “more than 300 individual licensed partners” and will include the major leagues like LaLiga, Bundesliga, and UEFA. Gamers will still have access to the athletes, stadiums, and teams as they had before the split.
The new game will not have any FIFA branding, but there will also be no mention or allusion to FIFA during any part of the game. Considering the kind of quality EA has been producing over the years, we don’t think this split will have a severe financial impact on them. If you look at it, all FIFA brought to the table was their brand.
What we think
EA has done an impeccable job over the years; they are consistent, innovative, and in tune with their market. No matter how much FIFA tries to undermine EA Sports FC, they would have to do more than talk to dissuade loyal fans from leaving EA for FIFA. EA has a clear strategy for their new game, and the numbers are on their side; they have the rights to 19 000 players and 700 teams. By the look of things, 2023 is an interesting year in football gaming.