FIFA without EA Sports: games and projects in development

FIFA without EA Sports

EA Sports FIFA. EA Sports vs FIFA. From allies to enemies, the step is short and, after the announcement of the new name for the most famous football game in the world, the two giants have decided to fight each other with no holds barred. On the one hand, the US publisher is convinced that the new EA Sports FC can walk great on its own feet, supported by the fame of its creators, by the many official licenses and above all thanks to that money machine that is Ultimate Team. On the other hand, the highest organization in international football believes that new FIFA will be created even without Electronic Arts, and will be the best football games on the market.

How? Let's try to think together, starting from the official statements and the analysis of a market, that of football simulators, never as varied as it is now.

What games and projects could be in development after EA Sports FIFA?

FIFA without EA Sports

We will no longer see the EA Sports splash screen when launching new FIFA EA Sports games. It's in the game. The claim that for 30 years, from 1993 to today, we have associated with FIFA, starting from the 2023-2024 season will tell us a different story. That of EA Sports FC. But if the key points for the future of Electronic Arts simulation are well known, for the future of FIFA games the situation is much less linear.

The reason is obvious: if the figures of the report published by New York Times are true, EA has not accepted the conditions of the international football federation, which was asking for 300 million dollars a year for a brand that previously paid "only" 150, and above all it would no longer have exclusive rights. It is evident that the federation already planned to associate its name with other authors, still unknown, to diversify the offer and aim for even higher revenues.

So much so that the so-called "non-exclusive model" will produce the first results already in view of the Qatar World Cup in 2022. FIFA 23 will still be in the hands of EA SPORTS and will be released as usual in the autumn of 2022 At the same time, however, FIFA will work with other developers, publishers and investors to bring new games to market immediately in early 2024. A sign that the plans for the post-EA have long been well underway.

I the first titles of these new collaborations will be FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023. The former is described more as an interactive experience than an actual simulation, and promises to bring fans a new way of experiencing world competition. The second will be joined by a series of other projects, which however are still under discussion with the publishers.

FIFA 24 and beyond

Will eFootball be the new FIFA? However, it is after the World Cup that we will see the real fruits of this revolution. On the other hand, it was the president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, who declared that only titles that have the FIFA brand in their name will be the best football games for fans. We have a hard time taking his word for it, but what interests us now is to understand who will be developing these "authentic" football games.

Given that FIFA 23 will be the last EA Sports FIFA, in short, who could create the FIFA 24, FIFA 25 and FIFA 26 cited by Infantino himself? FIFA 2K24 is a possibility, perhaps the most suggestive. The Take Two subsidiary has been the equivalent of EA Sports in the world of basketball for years, so much so that the NBA 2K series is virtually unrivaled on the market. In the past we have repeatedly fantasized about a soccer game made by Visual Concepts and this new course of the FIFA brand could be the best opportunity to finally see it materialized. Sure, in recent years the 2K series has lost its aura of prestige, but there is no doubt that a football simulation developed under their wing would have immediate and inevitable media appeal.

However, we cannot forget who in recent years has been FIFA's biggest competitor, with ups and downs. Konami. Also in this case the after PES (here our review of eFootball 2022 not really enthusiastic) does not leave much room for optimism to fans of football games, but seeing FIFA eFootball 24 would not surprise us too much. And it would explain the otherwise incomprehensible decision of the Japanese company to abandon a prestigious brand like that of PES.

A fragmented market

UFL, one of the new rivals of EA Sports, Konami and, perhaps , of the same FIFA Of UFL and GOALS we have still seen too little to make predictions, but the scenario that lies ahead is one of the succulent ones. After years of duopoly tending towards monopoly domination, in 2024 we could have four or five football games that focus on simulation. Plus an arcade game like Mario Strikers: Battle League Football, out June 10, 2022 on Nintendo Switch. A greedy roster, which could become even more appetizing when FIFA announces the other non-simulation projects it has put in place, when we could have to deal with products that were previously unimaginable.

FIFA Mario Strikers or a FIFA update in Switch Sports, to stay at Nintendo. Or crazy cross-overs like FIFA Rocket League. There is endless space to let your imagination run wild. Let's just hope this divorce does not lead to further fragmentation of the licenses, which are already a nightmare for those who love to reproduce real leagues on their sofa at home today.

Even Mario Strikers: Battle League Football may have in the future the FIFA license What do you think? Who would you like to lead the new FIFA games? Tell us yours in the comments below.

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