The Fifa football video game series will end next year

Electronic Arts will stop making the classic Fifa football video game after the arrival of next year, ending with the title of console. one of the most profitable and long-lived franchises in the industry.

EA Sports, the football division of the video game publisher, said on Tuesday that the venerable title of games, first seen on shelves in 1993, will be replaced by a new series called EA Sports FC.

Meanwhile, Fifa has promised to develop new video games with other publishers ahead of the World Cup.

EA’s senior executive said the move to end the Fifa franchise was due to licensing frustrations.

David Jackson, vice president of EA, said: “Under the licensing conventions we agreed with FIFO 10 years ago, there were some limitations that will not allow us to build that experience for players.”

The current deal particularly limits players ’ability to watch games played by others and create content themselves, he said.

Chris Bruzzo, head of experience at EA Games, told Eurogamer that about 100 million people played Fifo in some form last year.

The title was one of the pillars of football gamestogether with Sega’s Football Manager.

Steve McCaskill, media and technology editor at SportsPro, said: “Given that EA Sports has grown a large fan base and secured licensing agreements with other bodies such as UEFA and the Premier League, Fifa is believed to be playing needs more than vice. vice versa. “

EA has tried to allay fears that this new game will be similar to Pro Evolution Soccer, which due to a lack of licensing deals includes teams like “Merseyside Red” instead of Liverpool FC.

Cam Weber, vice president of the EA division for sports and racing games, said the company has licenses for more than 19,000 players, more than 700 teams, more than 100 stadiums and 30 leagues.

Mr Weber has promised that EA will offer “another year” to Fife before the franchise closes, and will be ready to launch EA Sports FC in the summer of 2023.

Mr McCaskill said: “EA Sports FC is likely to be FIFA after all but the name that offers the same licensed digital recreation of the football world and most fans will understand this – even if most call it FIFA in the years to come. ”

“It’s much more than just a change of symbol – as EA Sports we are committed to making EA Sports FC a symbol of change.”

Fifa, the football governing body that gave the video game series its name, said it is already working on several new games and will unveil them. World Cup in Qatar.

Gianni Infantino, President of Fife, said: “I can assure you that the only genuine, real game bearing the name Fifa will be the best available to gamers and football fans.

“The name Fifa is the only global, original title. Fifa 23, Fifa 24, Fifa 25 and Fifa 26 and so on – the constant is the name FIFA and will remain forever and remain the best.”