PLAY INVESTIGATES - Goodbye FIFA, hello EA Sports FC

EA has published the FIFA series since its Mega Drive inception back in 1993

It’s sold more than 325 million copies, and Ultimate Team has become the most lucrative mode in gaming, making more than $1.6 billion dollars per year. Yet despite its success, FIFA 23 is the final entry in the series… as far as EA is concerned, anyway. Come September, the biggest sports game around transforms into EA Sports FC.

On the surface this seems troubling for the casual gamer. In recent years we’ve seen catenaccio classic Pro Evolution Soccer watered down into the mobile-friendly, depressingly naff eFootball. Surely, some fans reason, if EA isn’t held accountable to the sport’s worldwide governing body, FIFA is headed in the same direction. Plus, this is a series known for its licensing power. No FIFA equals fewer real teams and kits, which in turn equals a downturn in form. Right?

Wrong, mercifully. At least where domestic football is concerned. Individual competitions and teams negotiate directly with EA and Konami, and almost all those found within FIFA 23 have signed up for the new era. That includes the Premier League and EFL, Bundesliga, La Liga, and both men’s and women’s versions of the Champions League. The Mexican league is switching to eFootball, while certain clubs have agreed to exclusivity deals with Konami. The biggest losses are Inter and AC Milan, whose equivalents in EA Sports FC will have generic names.