As the year continues with FIFA 22, uncertainty is in the air regarding the brand of EA Sports' popular soccer franchise. This stems from reports back in October after a trademark claim was established and then again in February when an EA executive claimed the FIFA name is hurting the franchise.While the company rolled out FIFA 22 under the familiar title name, it's now become a question of not if, but when EA will go forward with the new franchise title after the revealing of a trademark claim over the name "EA Sports FC."A credible source cites that this year's installment will remain under the FIFA brand due to the deal between FIFA and EA concluding on December 31, 2022. This gives EA a window of nine months to deliver FIFA 23, though no confirmation has been given on a specific date as of this writing. The source claims that unless a change occurs between now and the time of the new game's release, FIFA 23 will contain two FIFA World Cups, both the men's and women's tournaments. If no game is released by year's end, EA will be moving on with EA Sports FC for the next game's release and every future game that follows.
Reports broke out late last year when an EA executive stated that in a non-World Cup year, the worth it gets from the partnership is solely based on the four letters on the game's box, adding that with more players buying the game digitally every year, that worth diminishes. EA could also stand to profit from a clean break, as the deal with FIFA excludes them from sponsorships in-game, such as Nike, as FIFA's current deal with Adidas creates a problem with the terms and conditions of the contract. EA and FIFA have partnered together since 1993, nearly 30 years ago, and will likely see that come to an end with EA moving on with future releases.
The change in the air could be a profitable one, as FIFA is known for putting blocks on requests made by EA Sports. The company has wanted to move on from the 11vs11 traditional modes and supplement the game with different, more-engaging options for players to jump in and enjoy. When NHL 18 launched the NHL Threes idea, fans of the title could not stop playing it, claiming it as one of the best new ideas of EA in recent memory. With the clean break from FIFA, all new soccer games could have the liberty of becoming creative with new additions to the game, creating a better experience overall for the player base.
FIFA 22 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.