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Is FIFA 23 the last FIFA?
With EA announcing their split with FIFA, many fans of the franchise are wondering what will happen to the FIFA franchise. Will EA stop making FIFA games? Will FIFA 23 be the last FIFA game? And is this the end of the FIFA franchise? We’ll cover all the answers to those questions and more in this article.
Why is FIFA leaving EA?
In May of 2022, EA announced that they would be parting ways with football’s governing body FIFA via an official statement on their website. Up until that point, EA and FIFA had been partners ever since the release of FIFA International Soccer in 1993.
The current licensing agreement between EA and FIFA was set to end after the 2022 men’s World Cup in Qatar but a potential split between the two parties had been rumored ever since October of 2021, when FIFA had reportedly doubled its licensing fee in negotiations for a new licensing agreement.
In the end, EA and FIFA could not reach an agreement and have parted ways but their current licensing agreement has been extended slightly until 2023, in order to include the women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Is EA still making FIFA 23?
Yes, EA is still in charge of the development for FIFA 23. The extended licensing agreement between EA and FIFA will last until the end of 2022, which includes the launch of FIFA 23. This means that we’ll still see a standard release for FIFA 23 with familiar gameplay and returning game modes such as FIFA Ultimate Team, Career Mode, Pro Clubs and Volta Football.
Is FIFA 23 the last FIFA game?
No, not necessarily. FIFA 23 will be the last FIFA branded football game that EA will create but that doesn’t mean we’ll never see another FIFA game. For starters, FIFA has already revealed that they will launch new football games developed by third-party studios and publishers other than EA. This new non-exclusive model will allow different developers to work on various titles under the FIFA name. The football governing body even stated that several non-simulation games are already under production and will launch during the third quarter of 2022.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino further added: “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.”.
These statements from FIFA imply that a FIFA 24 game is definitely not outside the realm of possibilities. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait until FIFA discloses more information on their next projects for now.
Will EA stop making FIFA games?
Yes, EA will no longer make FIFA branded football games from 2023 and onwards, but that doesn’t mean that EA will stop making football games altogether. The publisher has already announced that their popular FIFA series will continue under a new brand: “EA Sports FC”. This brand new football game franchise will include all the fan-favorite modes from the FIFA series such as FIFA Ultimate Team, Career Mode, Pro Clubs and Volta Football.
Furthermore, EA has confirmed that official leagues, teams, players and stadiums will all be available in EA Sports FC thanks to a unique licensing portfolio that features over 19.000 players, 700 teams, 100 stadiums and 30 leagues. This means that you can continue to play with your favorite players and teams in the EA Sports FC games.
Get ready for FIFA 23!
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