EA Sports Ends FIFA Video Games

EA and FIFA's long-standing relationship will come to an end next year.

May 10, 2022 May 10th, 2022

Having worked together since as far back as 1993, the relationship between Electronic Arts and FIFA is coming to an end.

As announced by EA earlier today, late-2023 will see the launch of the company's new EA Sports FC banner. That banner will be used to put out new releases without the FIFA name attached to them.

Prior to the arrival of EA Sports FC, EA will have one final FIFA game put out next year. In a press release to announce these latest developments, Electronic Arts EVP Cam Weber promised that this final FIFA is "our best ever, with more features, game modes, World Cup content, clubs, leagues, competitions, and player than any FIFA title before".

EA Sports put out the first FIFA game back in 1993, and the brand has become one of the most lucrative and profitable in video game history. As for why EA and FIFA are going their separate ways, one key reason is the cost of the FIFA license.

While specifics on EA Sports FC are extremely vague right now, EA's David Jackson told the BBC that there's a need to move in a different direction in order to build the "brand for the future". Jackson also stated how "watching and creating content are going to be equally as important to fans" as the regular playing experience.

Continuing on, Jackson cited how "there were some restrictions that weren't going to allow us to be able to build those experiences for players" under the licensing agreement EA had struck up with FIFA ten years prior.

For those wondering whether EA Sports FC will be full of fake team names, fake kits and fake badges due to licensing restrictions, fear not, for EA already have deals in place with 19,000 footballers, 700 teams, 100 stadiums and over 30 leagues for future releases - including the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga, MLS and UEFA.

The current plan is for FIFA 23 to be released next Autumn - as is the norm - and then for the first EA Sports FC release to arrive towards the end of 2023.

Andrew Pollard

Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.

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