EA Sports is Ending Its Partnership With FIFA, Rebranding Soccer Game Franchise

gamerant.com:

When people say FIFA, they would think of one of two things: The governing body of world soccer or the soccer video game. The two have become ubiquitous with the FIFA name. However, a seismic shift in the video game world and the cultural lexicon is about to take place as Electronic Arts is ending partnership with FIFA. The yearly soccer games will be rebranding into EA Sports FC.

In a press release announcing the rebranding, Cam Weber, Executive Vice President at EA Sports, celebrated the 30 history of the franchise and spoke of a «new era» that the developer wants to «take global football experiences to new heights. EA also assured fans that all of the franchise's best-known game modes like Ultimate Team, Career Mode, VOLTA, and more will remain with EA Sports FC in this new future, as well as its partnerships with the world's biggest soccer leagues like Premier League, Bundesliga, MLS, LaLiga, and over 300 other license partners.

EA Sports to Begin Crossplay Test for FIFA 22 Soon

The possibility of EA and FIFA separating has been speculated for some time with the two entities publicly at odds over negotiating new business arrangements. There were earlier reports that Electronic Arts trademarked the „EA Sports FC“ title with the possibilities ranging from being a new game mode, a free-to-play mode, or, as today's announcement confirms, a franchise rebrand. Then the FIFA governing body was rumored to be asking for $1 Billion every four years for EA to have permission to emblazon the FIFA name and logo across the box. FIFA was also reported to be looking into expanding its direct reach into the digital spaces like esports and NFTs on its own.

Soccer video games are going through a bit of a shakeup as the free-to-play UFL