With the recent announcement that EA Sports and FIFA will be going their separate ways following the release of FIFA 23, we want to take a look at the ways in which EA Sports FC can become a roaring success.
There is only one spot available at the top of the football gaming mountain, so what can EA Sports FC do in order to make them stand out?
With so many licenses set to be thrown up in the air, we want to take a look at one in particular that EA Sports could use to their advantage.
EFL Expansion
The Football League is home to a swarth of historic and well-supported clubs.
From teams like Nottingham Forest and Derby, Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich, Sunderland and Birmingham - some of the best-followed teams in England are currently operating outside of the top tier.
Whilst relegations each year see new stadiums introduced into the Championship - and the occasional licensed stadium popping up in League One - we still feel there is scope for further expansion in upcoming titles.
With clubs up and down the country boasting huge support and historical success, the EFL could be a license that EA Sports FC leans on in order to broaden its reach.
With Career Mode still feeling like it's missing a huge amount of features, leaning on the EFL could allow EA Sports to create better storylines within their offline modes.
EA Sports FC will have to work quickly in order to secure quick wins over FIFA, and expanding into a hugely untapped market in England could be a great start.
One Step Further
Of course, EA Sports FC could look to delve even further into the English football pyramid and introduce sides currently operating in the National League.
With attendances averaging 1,000 every game at clubs throughout the North and South tiers - and some huge attendances cropping up in the National League itself - we needn't provide any further proof that inclusion of these sides would result in more fans purchasing the games.
Introducing lower tiers could also make for more interesting storylines in respect of both manager and player careers, creating a true Road to Glory scenario.
EA Sports FC Licenses
In their announcement, EA Sports were keen to ensure that fans knew this wasn't going to be just an arbitrary change of logo.
Instead, it's stated that EA Sports FC will be a 'symbol of change' - expanding certain licenses and permitting the developers more creative freedom.
In their statement, EA Sports were also keen to remind fans that they still hold the license rights to over 300 partners.
With some of these deals being exclusive, EA Sports FC has already taken an early lead against FIFA.