FIFA and EA Sports have been linked for nearly three decades, starting from the first FIFA International Soccer game in 1993 all the way to the latest FIFA 22 release.
However, this long-standing partnership may be in jeopardy. EA’s recent hint at a potential renaming of its flagship football game has sparked speculation, and now it seems we know why – FIFA is considering licensing its valuable franchise to multiple parties.
The international football governing body has stated that it believes the football gaming space needs to be open to multiple parties, rather than being controlled by a single entity. It acknowledges the strong interest in the FIFA brand from the tech industry and wants to take advantage of this competition.
In a statement (via Eurogamer), FIFA expressed its desire to explore opportunities in the rapidly growing gaming and eSports sectors, which could make it challenging to renew the existing agreement with EA Sports.
FIFA stated: “Technology and mobile companies are now actively competing to be associated with FIFA, its platforms, and global tournaments. Consequently, FIFA is engaging with various industry players, including developers, investors and analysts, to build out a long-term view of the gaming, eSports and interactive entertainment sector.”
This involves collaborating with “a range of suitable parties with specialist capabilities to actively shape the best possible experiences and offerings.”
The statement also highlighted the rapid growth of the gaming and eSports industries, emphasizing the need for FIFA and its stakeholders to maximize future opportunities for football and gaming fans and to support its 211 member associations in making the most of emerging opportunities.
Earlier this month, EA Sports hinted at a potential change to its licensing agreement with FIFA. It was revealed that the company had trademarked the name “EA Sports FC” in the US and Europe (via Polygon).
EA Sports head Cam Weber stated, “This means we’re reviewing our naming rights agreement with FIFA, which is separate from all our other official partnerships and licenses across the football world.”
