Last year it was announced that Electronic Arts and FIFA have split up, so will there be a FIFA 24? Well, we finally have a bit of an answer.
A recent announcement from EA confirmed that their game this year will be called EA Sports FC. So, what's happening with FIFA? With a number of questions circulating, we want to focus on what the future of FIFA will look like, and whether there will actually be a FIFA 24.
Fear not, as we've got all the answers regarding the future of FIFA.
Will there be a FIFA 24?
With the confirmation of EA Sports FC we now know that EA isn't turning back to the FIFA name any time soon. That means that they won't be producing a FIFA 24 game. But could someone else?
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has recently affirmed FIFA's desire to stay in the gaming space, so it looks like they won't be sitting back and accepting EA going its own way.
While Infantino's comments are a strong message that FIFA want a presence in video games, possibly by providing the license to a 2K title, it is almost impossible to see there being a FIFA 24 this year on a totally new game.
Is EA Sports FC FIFA 24?
EA's annual football game has been one of the most profitable publications in gaming. So it is no surprise that they would continue to make a football game without the FIFA name.
Their 2023 release will also have been in the works for a while, so it is very likely that what they put out as EA Sports FC is the same game they would have released as FIFA 24 had the naming agreement not come to an end.
EA has confirmed that EA Sports FC will have more than 19,000 fully licensed players, 700 teams, and 30 leagues, which is quite the expansive roster! This includes the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, Ligue 1, MLS, and EFL along with all the UEFA club competitions and the CONMEBOL Libertadores. EA Sports FC will also have the NSWL and Women's Super League.
Given just how much money it rakes in every year we fully expect Ultimate Team to be returning, though perhaps with a different name as FCUT isn't exactly catchy. Likewise career mode should return too.
EA Sports FC is going to be similar in style and shape to FIFA 23, as there is no way EA will have spent the money to completely revamp the series.
EA Sports FC release date
While the name has been confirmed, there is no official EA Sports FC release date announced just yet. Players have been invited to sign up on the official website for EA Sports FC where they will "be one of the first to Join the Club in July".
Presumably this means those that sign up will be invited to beta test the game, but there have been some rumblings that EA will bring the football title up in the calendar and move away from that traditional late September window.
A move into August would see the game release at the start of the European domestic season, but it also has its complications. The transfer window is still open then, and of course EA's other big franchise Madden usually arrives in August too.
When we will get our hands on EA Sports FC remains to be seen, but it is certainly an exciting time for fans around the world!