FIFA will become EA SPORTS FC in the future. A change like “Raider becomes Twix”? Chances for more eSports, broken chains, possible reconciliation and patchwork of licences.
What has long been speculated is official as of last week: FIFA as gamers know it is going, EA SPORTS FC is coming. While EA SPORTS wants to seize the opportunity of the broken chains, FIFA is going into attack mode. Federation president Gianni Infantino spoke of launching “the best game available for players and football fans” no less.
In the first perception, this sounds like what the market needs: competition – which, according to streamer Elias Nerlich, has never existed in the field of football simulation to FIFA. With the renaissance of eFootball, UFL, GOALS and, from summer 2023, FIFA, there are four competitors ready to kick off.
But many questions remain unanswered. How will the licences be awarded in the future? Which game will be used for tournaments like the VBL, or even several? And above all: who will develop the FIFA game? Patrick Baur and Marvin ‘M4_RV96’ Hintz.
Tournaments like the VBL in one game – advantage EA SPORTS?
On the subject of licences, host Jan ‘GamingAlm’ Bergmann addressed what is probably a concern for many: A patchwork quilt: “Then EA SPORTS FC has 50 per cent of the licences and the other two 25 per cent.”
A scenario that Baur, however, considers not so likely, also from a financial point of view. An expansion of the licences, which would allow the Bundesliga, for example, to be realistically depicted in several games, “is more of an opportunity because more money will flow”.
However, league operators, such as the DFL with its Virtual Bundesliga, will probably limit themselves to one game. According to Baur, a tournament with several football simulations “increases the complexity for the league operator from an organisational point of view”. In addition, there would be possible acquisition costs.
Hintz clearly sees the advantages for EA SPORTS. The golden factor: “Customer loyalty. They have already built a network and relationships.” In addition, they already have expertise in hosting tournaments, adds ‘MegaBit’: “Most of the opportunities are in EA SPORTS FC, but depending on how they take them.”
The two-time German club champion with Werder Bremen also sees opportunities in sponsorship. FIFA comes “from classic football” and determines “the target group in that respect”. From this experience, EA SPORTS can go other ways from summer 2023.
Possibly, the path will also lead to more offline tournaments. After all, “the licensing has also put cuffs on them”, believes Baur. After the elimination of these costs, “there are also possibilities that would otherwise not exist. More offline tournaments, more eSport. “
FIFA faces Herculean task
He says it’s unlikely that the latest Football Association and EA SPORTS spin-off will bring big innovations. Hintz reckons that FIFA 23 will focus on the gameplay, “big features like new modes are more likely to come to EA SPORTS FC, to promote this title with it as well”. Bittner could even imagine EA moving away from the annual development cycle.
Who will develop FIFA is still unclear. While the round could imagine the studio “2k”, Baur also throws Konami into the game. FIFA eFootball? A step “that could strengthen the comeback once again”. Moreover, the Japanese development studio already has expertise with football simulations.
That would be different with 2k. In addition, ‘M4_RV96’ sees the pressure more as an inhibition. It would be “extremely high with all the expectations”. Or does FIFA hire Saudi Arabia? Bergmann could imagine that: After all, the Savvy Gaming Group, which recently bought ESL and FACEIT, also wants to “put money into the development of video games”.
How difficult it can be to develop a football simulation was shown by Konami with eFootball 2022. “They wanted to take a step with the new part, but initially failed miserably,” said Baur and warned: “The FIFA game has to exist first. FIFA must first show that they are capable of developing a good game.” That is why he is not sure “whether FIFA 24 will even be launched in 2023”.
Which is why a comeback of the cooperation between EA and the world association does not seem to be utopian. At least no one in the group wanted to categorically rule out this possibility.
