Following FIFA 23’s release, Electronic Arts is set to usher in a new era of soccer video games with EA Sports FC. The publisher/developer game promises a ‘new and engaging’ direction for their soccer titles.
David Jackson — the Vice President of Brand at EA Sports — teased the upcoming game in an interview with The Mirror. He noted that losing the FIFA name and license was a “mindset shift” for the studio, and that they’re exploring new areas to help make the game more enjoyable for fans.
“It’s a mindset shift for us,” said Jackson. “We now think very expansively about opportunity. And the areas that we would like to create experiences for fans in the future. We have a huge amount of confidence in what we’re going to be able to bring to market later on this year.”
Jackson went on to note that two things are “really important” to EA Sports, one of which is authenticity, and the other is how the game continues to innovate. Jackson also revealed that, despite not having the FIFA name, EA Sports FC would still feature the same players fans know and love.
“There are two things that are really important to us. And our players telling us are important to them,” Jackson said. “One is authenticity. So we have 19,000 players, we have 700 teams and 30 leagues in the game right now. That authenticity is paramount to an EA Sports experience and will continue to be in the future. The other thing that’s super important to us is innovation and our ability to be able to create new and engaging experiences that fans tell us that they’re expecting from us at EA.”
What happened with FIFA and Electronic Arts?
In 2022, EA Sports and FIFA failed to reach an agreement over licensing fees for the use of the FIFA name. As a result, FIFA 23 became the last entry in the series to use the “FIFA” branding. While EA Sports has since pivoted to EA Sports FC, FIFA has said that it intends to continue partnering with game studios. that it would be looking to enter into a new partnership with a developer to produce “the only authentic, real game that has the FIFA name” in 2024.