When it comes to sports games, the FIFA franchise is one of the most popular on the planet. Since it’s been around for more than two decades, the franchise has had plenty of time to build a massive, loyal following. Combine that with ease of play and the fact that the game is constantly evolving, as each edition offers new gameplay features, modes, players, etc., and the franchise was always going to be a hit.
However, there has been talk of a new FIFA game, as the prestigious soccer organization parts ways with the game franchise’s long-standing publishers, EA Sports. Below is a look at these rumors and what’s been going, plus discussion of how the new game might affect fans of the beloved franchise.
Is a new developer on the horizon?
FIFA and EA Sports had worked together on the games for almost 30 years before the two parties decided to split and EA renamed the franchise EA Sports FC. Money was part of the reason for the split since FIFA had increased its license price to more than $1 billion per four-year World Cup cycle. Another reason was that the license created certain restrictions that EA felt stopped it providing the best experience for franchise fans.
Despite losing the rights to the FIFA name and no longer producing World Cup content every four years, EA still maintain the main leagues and lots of players in its games. The UEFA Champions League also remains a part of the games. FIFA 23 was the last collaboration between the publisher and the sports association.
But what will FIFA’s next steps be? Well, there is speculation that the organization is going to produce its own series of games. There’s also been a very juicy leak that FIFA will be working on the game(s) with developer 2K Games, the company behind sports games such as “NBA2K” and “WWE2K.” Some believe the developer may have already been eyeing up the license even before FIFA announced the split with EA.
However, it’s also being said that FIFA doesn’t intend to designate one publisher all the gaming and esports rights exclusively for the long term. It’s thought the association is working with a range of partners on the game(s).
The release time of the new game? There’s speculation that FIFA will bypass 2024 and release “FIFA 2025” in winter 2024. Most likely, December.
What lies ahead for fans of the FIFA franchise?
Things are all very hush-hush in terms of the new FIFA game and what features or details it will contain, but the press reports it will be one of the biggest gaming projects in history. Journalists also highlight that FIFA will be taking its time to put together a quality game. Meanwhile, EA and other soccer games in the sports genre will help themselves to a slice of the soccer video game market without worrying about FIFA just yet.
FIFA might not be able to muscle in on the market share of other soccer games as easily as it may think. Online, some are suggesting the new game will have a real job on its hands to compete with EA’s “EA Sports FC 24.”
Anyone into sports betting can breathe a sigh of relief because, whatever happens, they’re likely to get a realistic game if they’re practicing with the game for their wagering activities. The EA game, according to reviews, still feels like a FIFA game after the split. Players witness visible field wear and tear, get precise ball and player physics and, on controllers, experience goalpost hitting haptics. The game features HyperMotionV, which means the animations of hundreds of players in the game are influenced by on-pitch actions of true-life soccer professionals. The PlayStyles allows you to tailor the playing abilities of different players, and it’s also possible to update the settings so that you can direct the passes and shots, which replaces the Precision system.
Also of note in the game is the extra depth of the practice arena, which reviewers consider to be better than under FIFA. You can practice penalties, free kicks and, in general, controlling shots and passes, which pays off in the long run. Whether you’re new to the game or a veteran, it’s a section definitely worth trying out. These and the above-mentioned features all give FIFA plenty of food for thought while working on its own game.
Rumors are rife and anticipation is building around what the FIFA offering will be to the gaming community. Will its decision to go it alone pay off? Or will EA be the one that waves goodbye and never looks back, as it continues to serve the FIFA franchise fanbase and hold on to it while the world’s biggest soccer organization gets its act together? The world may see in 2025.
