
EA's FIFA franchise, which has been going strong since the '90s with annual launches dating back to FIFA 95 for the Sega Mega Drive, could be about to undergo a name change.
The hugely popular franchise currently has, and has always had, a naming rights agreement with FIFA, the international governing body of real-world football. With the FIFA branding, EA has launched a main series game every single year since 1995 (with the Mega Drive version of FIFA International Soccer predating that), as well as a handful of other games like FIFA 64 and titles designed for mobile.
In a press release, EA Sports' Cam Weber has shared the following:
"As we look ahead, we’re also exploring the idea of renaming our global EA SPORTS football games. 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."
With FIFA being right up there as one of the best-selling gaming franchises of all time, a name change would certainly come as a surprise, but time will tell if any changes actually come to pass.
The same press release notes that FIFA 22 has has a "record-breaking" launch, with the title already boasting 9.1 million players, 7.6 million Ultimate Team squads created and 460 million matches played in just over a week. Although you probably won't want to play it on Switch.
[source ir.ea.com, via twitter.com]
Comments 54
Yep, that worked real good for Konami and PES.
In that case there would be at least something new about those games, even if it is only the name
I already call it EA Football game. Sounds like a plan.
That way they can say it's a new game next year, not just a legacy edition of a legacy edition of a legacy edition of fifa 18, or whatever.
They put out the actual Football and leave the Lootboxes in.
I suggest the Name
International Football Surpreme Surprise Mechanic
IFSSM
The FA update seems a fitting with the new business model.
It's like a food-brand saying "New name, same great old taste! Even older on Switch!" 😄
This is purely for the purpose of selling the same game under a different name, so that naive kids can buy it and brag to others about how it is better than FIFA.
No decision of EA, or any big company, is made without considering how will it benefit them financially.
FO-FUM: I Smell the Blood of an Englishman: Football Edition
That went incredibly well for Tiger Woods' PGA Tour as I remember it .
/sarcasm
With Konami going from PES -> eFootball where now there's 1 FTP release, I wonder if EA is looking to go the same way.
More likely that they are negotiating next years rates with Fifa and they are asking for too much money, so EA put out this press to try and scare them to change their price,
FIC... Fifa International Casino.
FIC, its in the lootbox... or is it? 🤔
@dew12333 Nailed it!
selling rubbish to the switch fanbase. Heartless and greedy practice from this evil company.
New Name? What about FUN Football:
F***
U
Nintendo
Football
You can spray a turd gold all you want but at the end of the day it's still a smelly turd.
Does that mean next year the Switch will get the CBA Edition?
EA sucks
Activision Sucks
Konami Sucks
Square Enix sucks
Non pro Nintendo OLED Switch…. THE BEST!
When the brand is among the most well-recognised in both sports and video games, why would one jeopardise that?
Oh, wait... of course... EA.
Fifa as a service is coming for sure.
At least the Switch version they could call "HAHAHA SUCKERS! 23". 👍
There's no WAY they would go the "Service" route.
The second people stop blindly paying full-price for a yearly not-updated-at-all game, they'd have to actually stars doing something for a change to make it worth it.
Great, can’t wait for the newly improved inclusive stale 2020s rehash of the name
Might I suggest "Rehash"....
Even if they change the name, they’ll still call the first Switch edition a Legacy Version, because EA.
How about Soccer Casino Rip off?
Is FIFA ok with that? And if so can they hand out their license to more than one dev/publisher please?
@HammerGalladeBro It's too transparent for them even it's very accurate
United Passions. Just type that into IMDB or Rotten Tomatoes for some interesting results.
Video Game Football from 2016, Seventh Edition
Konami: eFootball
EA: €Football
Just screw ea. Worst company ever.
@InkIdols activision worst company ever
It's amazing the level of sales this game gets every year. They have their audience on Play Station. Wonder where's the most dumb audience in the game fandom.
How about “Legacyball”
I hope they do this and then FIFA strikes a deal with some other company to make a football game with Fifa in title, messing up sales of EA's new game.
I wish EA would drop FIFA and Madden all together
@sixrings They hot potato this honour
Same sh#t, different name.
I noticed a few of the PS5 and XSX reviews noted it was largely the same game as last year.
I think EA are wising up to this finally but naively think they can pull the wool over consumers eyes by calling it something different.
Maybe it's the FIFA organistation that doesn't want EA to carry their name anymore and EA is spinning it like it's their own choice(?)
Stale or rotten football for Nintendo switch is couple of good names as on switch it’s long pass it’s sell by date!
I wish Nintendo would make another mario football game like they had on Wii
EA Soccer /Football Legacy Edition.
@podycust Mario Strikers yes. I did think the Gamecube game was the better of the two though.
They could call it SOS: Stupidly Overrated Soccer.
@StefanN LOL that's straight up what happened to poor old Aunt Jemima
IT'S STILL GONNA BE THE SAME GOD DAMN GAME
@sixrings at least they remade crash bandicoot
How about this?
Soccer
Champions
Animated
Memories
I suggest they title it
Super Championship Action Management
or S.C.A.M. for short.
@EveryGameBeLike at least EA didn’t sexually harass people.
Call me cynical, but maybe EA has got wind of legislation on loot boxes coming down the road. And EA, being even more cynical than me, knows that Fifa licence won't be printing the same amount of money in future. Fifa should be ashamed of itself for enabling child gambling, so I hope they both take a hit.
@sixrings at least they didn't put a bazooka next to our head and say "buy the new god damn game"
@dew12333 That's the real reason, 100%
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