After a three-decade-long tie-up, Electronic Arts has announced that it will no longer release games under the FIFA banner.
The immensely popular series will instead be replaced by a successor, called EA Sports FC. In a blog post, EA said that it will release one last title in the series, FIFA 23, before making the switch.
FIFA, meanwhile, has plans to launch its own football games – developed with third-party studios and publishers – to compete with EA's offerings.
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‘Only Authentic Game Will Have FIFA Name'
FIFA, which reportedly earns about $150 million annually through video game licensing, said it will launch "new football video games developed with third-party studios and publishers."
One of the reasons behind the split is that FIFA was asking EA to pay more than double the licensing fees to continue using its name, according to The New York Times.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino's statement indicated that things had gone sour between the former partners.
"I can assure you that the only authentic, real game that has the FIFA name will be the best one available for gamers and football fans. The FIFA name is the only global, original title. FIFA 23, FIFA 24, FIFA 25 and FIFA 26, and so on – the constant is the FIFA name and it will remain forever and remain THE BEST."Gianni Infantino, FIFA President
The organisation claims that a number of new games are already under production and will be launched during the third quarter of this year.
"The first is a tailored gaming experience featuring the biggest event on earth, the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, which will bring new, interactive experiences to fans across the globe," the statement said.
Though EA Sports will no longer include FIFA content including the World Cup, it has licensing deals with major football competitions including the English Premier League and the UEFA Champions League.
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