There have been apparent problems in the EA Sports and FIFA partnership for a long time, now both go officially separate ways. This also means that FIFA 23 will be the last game of EA with the name rights, the series EA Sports FC should be called. At least in one thing, fans can be reassured, because the existing exclusive partnerships should continue to be part of the football series.

EA and FIFA separate, it remains EA Sports FC

It has been clear for a long time that EA Sports and FIFA would probably not extend their exclusive deal. On the one hand, this is due to the fact that FIFA prefers to divide its licenses into several cooperation partners, but probably also on the annoyance of EA, which a dapled amount would have to steal in order to continue to use the right to name.

Now both have ended the partnership together and FIFA 23 is the last game of the series with the old name. After that, however, it should not be over with the football simulation, rather it continues under the new name EA Sports FC, as EA announces in a blog entry.

What does that mean for the licenses?

Even if the games are no longer allowed to call themselves “FIFA” in the future, many of their licenses will remain, including exclusive partnerships with the Bundesliga, Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and MLS:

Everything you love about our games will be part of EA Sports FC – the same great experiences, modes, leagues, tournaments, clubs and athletes will be there. Ultimate Team, the career mode, Pro Clubs and Volta Football, will all be there. Our unique range of licenses with more than 19,000 players, over 700 teams, over 100 stadiums and 30 leagues, in which we have invested for decades, will continue to exist

So it sounds like that for fans of the FIFA series would not change so much for the time being, only that the games come in a new guise.

EA LOSES EXCLUSIVE FIFA LICENSE - THE END OF FIFA

EA Sports FC should bring about change

But everything should not stay the same. EA promises to use the independence of the series in the blog entry in order to become more innovative and creative. That seems not surprising, after all, EA has complained in the past that FIFA is to blame for the slow development of the series. It remains to be seen whether the split off from FIFA really leads to an evolution of the game series. We know more in the summer of 2023 at the latest, then EA wants to share more details about the new game.

Before the time comes, FIFA 23 will appear this year. After all, according to the EA, it should end with a bang and this year’s offshoot will be “the best FIFA ever”.

What do you think of it, interest you the name of the game or do you hang on the licenses?