A piece of shocking news arrived for gamers in 2022 when it was announced that FIFA and EA are ending the long-term partnership that they had started in 1993. Obviously, gamers, especially if you have played FIFA games EA, must have one question in your mind: why suddenly did the partnership of FIFA and EA get terminated?
🌪👀 #FIFA18 | More Than A Game. https://t.co/hOiK6GyPkU pic.twitter.com/Z6fwgKVSqv
— EA SPORTS (@EASPORTS) September 28, 2017The real reasons why FIFA discounted their partnership with EA
One of the main reasons, as came out from reputable sources, is that FIFA had increased the licensing fee for EA previously. EA had to pay 150 million in a year, but in this process, they had to pay 250 million in a year, which makes them pay 1 billion in a span of four years. This is one of the main reasons why EA discounted its partnership with FIFA.
However, another reason is also came out from insiders is that EA is seeking their games to influence beyond the virtual world, and they knew that this thing wouldn’t have been possible while still operating on the FIFA brand, so they just discontinued their partnership with them in this process.
Another question also comes immediately in this process: how has it affected EA sports in their football games?
How was EA Sports affected by the ending of the Fifa-EA partnership?
Due to the ending of the partnership between FIFA and EA, EA sports has literally lost the right to use the name FIFA in their football games; also, they have lost the rights to use various FIFA competitions, such as the World Cup.
However, despite the split up of FIFA and EA in this process, they retain the rights to use the players’ names and non-FIFA events, such as the English Premier League, UEFA, which provides them with a key advantage over their competitors in this process regarding making a new football based game. This was the main thing that prompted them to rebrand their FIFA game series into EA Sports FC; however, you must be thinking if they succeeded or not in this process?
Did EA Sports successfully overcome the split between FIFA and EA?
EA Sports FC 24 was the first instalment of their newly rebranded football video game series after split up, which was released on 29 September 2023 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One and Xbox series X/S. For this game, they successfully retained the license of players, teams, stadiums and leagues except for the World Cup and World Club Cup, whose rights were with FIFA.
However, only one major change was seen in this game: was couple of clubs’ names were changed along with their logo, stadium and players. The release of this game was met with mixed reviews, with some claiming it was an improvement over the FIFA series, while some stated that they had used too much AI technology in their game. This was the review of this game by some prominent gaming review websites:
| Review Source | Rating |
| IGN | 7/10 |
| Metacritic | 75% |
| TheGamer | 6/10 |
Despite starting off a slow growth in sales later, it picked up and did remarkably well even though EA didn’t post any figures; as per various analysts, the sales and revenue are just 4 to 5 percent less than FIFA 23.
EA Sports FC 25, released this year on 27 September 2024 on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows Xbox One, and Xbox series X/S, has also, just like their predecessor has, received a mixed amount of reviews with some saying that it features various interesting new features particularly the rush mode where some started that it lacks the fluidity and excitement which FIFA series had. This is what the reviews look like of some prominent gaming websites regarding this game.
| Platform | Ratings |
| IGN | 6/10 |
| Metacritic (PS5) | 77/100 |
| Metacritic (Xbox Series X/S) | 70/100 |
| Eurogamer | 3/5 |
| TheGamer | 6/10 |
As of the present day, the sales of this game have set records for sports games. As in the USA, it became the second best-selling sports game in history. Traders have already predicted that it will surpass the sales of its predecessor. Besides that, on PlayStation and Xbox, it is still the highest-selling game of this year.
So one thing can certainly be said that EA is somehow remarkably doing well after the FIFA and EA split up, and this split didn’t affect them at all. However, some major cons might be losing the rights to prominent football tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup after FIFA and EA split up due to the rights is still attached to FIFA.
However, when EA is being bestowed with success, you must be wondering what FIFA is doing in this process? Are they planning to launch their own soccer game or not after the FIFA and EA split up?
Is FIFA planning to launch their own video game series?
Since FIFA and EA split up, there has been no major confirmation about the new football game by FIFA. However, recently, the president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, has provided an update regarding this as he stated that their upcoming game will be the best and fans should be ready for it.
As per the reports of insiders, FIFA has already conducted a deal with 2K Sports for this process, which is itself a part of Take-Two Interactive, one of the largest gaming companies besides EA, also known for launching various prominent sports games series like NBA 2K series and WWE 2K series by their division 2K sports. However there is no confirmation regarding this from Take Two Interactive about this news.
However, according to insiders, the partnership is confirmed, and the company is already making a new football game series scheduled to be released at the end of 2024, titled FIFA 2K25.
Final thoughts
The FIFA and EA split up can be said was surely a heartbroken moment for the gamers. However, in this process, if we look at the reasons, it can solely be blamed on FIFA due to their increasing the price of the license suddenly. EA Sports might be doing well with rebranding the games, and FIFA will bring their new football game under 2K studios. However, one thing the fans will surely miss is the FIFA and EA combo the combo which made many of our childhood and teenage hood awesome.
FAQ
Why did FIFA and EA end their long-term partnership?
FIFA increased the licensing fee for EA, making it financially unsustainable for EA to continue the partnership. Additionally, EA sought more creative freedom and a broader influence beyond the virtual world, which was hindered by the FIFA brand.
How has the FIFA and EA split affected EA Sports and its football games?
EA Sports lost the rights to use the FIFA name and major FIFA competitions like the World Cup. However, they retained the rights to player names, non-FIFA events, and major leagues, allowing them to rebrand their series as EA Sports FC.
How successful has EA Sports been with the EA Sports FC series after FIFA and EA split ?
EA Sports FC 24 and 25 have received mixed reviews, but both have performed well commercially. While they may have lost some of the magic of the FIFA series, they have maintained a strong player base and continue to innovate.
What are FIFA’s plans for a new football game?
FIFA is reportedly partnering with 2K Sports to develop a new football game series, tentatively titled FIFA 2K25. This partnership aims to bring a fresh perspective to the football gaming market.
What impact will the split have on the future of football gaming?
The split has led to increased competition in the football gaming market, which could benefit gamers with more choices and innovations. However, the long-term impact remains to be seen, especially as both EA Sports and FIFA’s new ventures unfold.
