EA Sports' FIFA franchise has become one of the most highly-regarded annual titles in the world of sports games. EA has partnered with the International Federation of Association Football for use of the massive association's branding and likeness for almost 30 years since FIFA International Soccer in 1993. However, recent rumors have suggested a rift between EA Sports and FIFA that may lead to EA dropping the FIFA branding, and a new report from the New York Times suggests the quarrel may be tied to money.
FIFA has been one of EA's best-selling franchises for many years due in part to the widespread popularity of association football. The franchise has been massively profitable for EA Sports through its raw sales, as well as the popularity of the microtransaction-driven FIFA Ultimate Team. The company has partnered with FIFA consistently since the franchise's inception for the use of both the FIFA and FIFA World Cup likenesses and branding.
A recent trademark filed by EA suggested a title change may be rebranding to EA Sports FC for upcoming titles and a report from EA Sports executive Cam Weber may confirm those rumors. Weber detailed that talks of a potential contract renewal between FIFA and EA Sports had stalled, referencing a potential break in the collaboration following the Qatar World Cup in 2022. The report goes on to detail that FIFA requested a payment of $1 billion every four years for EA to continue to use the FIFA name and branding.
The report also details some ways EA has looked to expand monetization within the FIFA franchise, including highlights of real-world games, arena tournaments, and even the possibility of digital-only products like NFTs. FIFA's restrictions on the EA-developed franchise would limit monetization of the association's likeness strictly to content found in-game. Notably, a break in the collaboration between FIFA and EA Sports would not mean the loss of its player likenesses and rights as the company's player deals are separate from the main FIFA agreement.
The most recent entry in the annual football franchise, FIFA 22, featured a number of improvements to existing features offered within the sports series. The game's touted HyperMotion technology promises the most realistic gameplay the series has seen to date. Preview Packs, offering previews of Ultimate Team's gacha packs, will be making a return after their introduction in FIFA 21 and Volta received a new "Signature Ability" system and a selection of new mini-games. While the franchise's branding may be up in the air, EA Sports' annual franchise will likely continue to be a popular choice for fans, regardless of its name.
FIFA 22 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.