The best-selling sports video game franchise in history enters a new phase in 2023, as the FIFA series loses the backing of the official body and reverts to the name of EA Sports FC. What can we expect from the first release in this new phase for one of the best-loved football games?
What We Know So Far
Publisher Electronic Arts announced in 2022 that their agreement with governing body FIFA would come to an end in July 2023, with the FIFA 23 game the last to carry their name on it. To start the new series of games, they’ve had to strike licensing deals with leagues around the world, including close to $500 million that was needed to secure the rights to the English Premier League for the next six seasons, making a figure that’s close to double the amount for their previous deal.
Expect to see many of the same teams and stadiums that we have been used to playing with in the FIFA series, but there are also rumours that the end of Konami’s exclusive deal with Barcelona could see the iconic Camp Nou stadium feature again after several years away from the FIFA games.
The publisher tended to bring out their annual FIFA games in September or October, and that’s led to theories that the new game will also be brought out in one of those months this year. In terms of the formats, as well as the PS5 we can expect to see it released for PCs, the Xbox Series X/S and maybe the Nintendo Switch. Some sources suggest that it may also have a PS4 version.
Will It Be As Successful As the FIFA Series?
The global popularity of football has grown even further following the World Cup last year, and this could help future video games based on the sport reach new markets. With an estimated 3.5 billion fans around the planet, this is classed as the world’s most popular sport.
This level of popularity is seen in the way that there are huge audiences for other types of media based on football, such as the Ted Lasso TV series and the Bend It Like Beckham movie that inspired a stage musical. The Welcome to Wrexham documentary series detailing how Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds run the Welsh team was a success for FX Productions.
Fans have also discovered other ways of enjoying this sport that use the latest technology, such as streaming games and carrying out live betting. This explanation of how live sports betting software works tells us that a huge amount of data is gathered to allow operators to offer the latest odds. The platform mentioned has more than 400,000 live events each year, with football the most sought-after sport in many countries.
The FIFA Rival
Given the millions of existing fans of the FIFA games, it seems reasonable to expect EA Sports FC to also be hugely popular. Yet, the fact that FIFA is looking to produce a rival series of officially-licensed games could split the fanbase, so getting this game out before FIFA releases theirs is sure to be one of the developer’s goals.
With football fans eagerly awaiting the first EA Sports FC game, we’re sure to hear a lot more news about it in the coming months, but its chances of success won’t be any clearer until we find out what rival games FIFA has to offer.