EA Sports and FIFA to split, EA announces new EA Sports FC football game
News announced by EA Sports today means the next FIFA game due out, FIFA 23, will be the last of EA Sports' FIFA games. But don't fear, EA Sports will continue making football games, complete with licensed players, competitions, clubs and the Ultimate Team mode.
However, the new game will no longer use the FIFA name. From 2023, EA's football title will be called EA Sports FC.
In an announcement made today, EA Sports said: "This new independent platform will bring fresh opportunity – to innovate, create and evolve. This is much more than just a change of symbol - as EA SPORTS, we’re committed to ensuring EA SPORTS FC is a symbol of change.
Newcastle United's Supermac and the opening of his 1970s Newcastle fashion store
"We’re dedicated to meaningfully reinvesting in the sport, and we’re excited to work with a large and increasing number of partners to expand to new authentic experiences that bring joy, inclusivity and immersion to a global community of fans. I look forward to sharing more detail on these plans in the coming months."
EA has promised its EA Sports FC games will be better than "any FIFA title before".
According to New York Times reporter Tariq Panja, FIFA - the football body - wanted to charge EA more money to use its naming rights. He tweeted: "FIFA wanted EA to pay double the $150m it currently does and also wanted to sell its name to other games developers. Months of wrangling ended in what EA’s separation describes as an 'amicable' split."
EA has said breaking from FIFA will bring "fresh opportunity – to innovate, create and evolve".
It adds: "This is much more than just a change of symbol - as EA SPORTS, we’re committed to ensuring EA SPORTS FC is a symbol of change. We’re dedicated to