FIFA confirms it will create an EA Sports FC rival and says it will be ‘the only authentic, real game’
FIFA has confirmed it will launch a rival game to Electronic Arts’ newly announced EA Sports FC, after the pair confirmed they will split after nearly 30 years.
After FIFA 23’s release later this year, EA will begin “a new era in July 2023” with the introduction of the EA Sports FC series, the game publisher announced on Tuesday.
The company insists that despite losing the FIFA brand, its games will not change that much. Thanks to over 300 licensing deals, “the same great experiences, modes, leagues, tournaments, clubs and athletes” will be included in EA Sports FC, it said.
In its own statement, FIFA said that the split from EA will allow it to launch new football video games developed with third-party studios and publishers, “providing more choice for football and gaming fans” in the lead-up to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023.
According to the footballing body, discussions are currently ongoing with “leading game publishers, media companies and investors” in regard to the development of a new FIFA simulation football game for 2024, which would directly compete with EA Sports FC.
Sooner than that, multiple “non-simulation” games are already under production and will launch during the third quarter of this year, the first of which is described as “a tailored gaming experience” featuring the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
Additional projects are also under discussion with publishers ahead of next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup, it said.
In a strongly worded statement, FIFA president Gianni Infantino insisted that only games carrying its official license would be credible to fans of football.
“I can assure you that the only authentic, real game that has the FIFA name will be the
Read more on videogameschronicle.com
