Gianni Infantino has provided an update on FIFA's new video game series, with the FIFA president potentially disclosing that FIFA 24 may not be made.
EA Sports and FIFA announced in May last year that their 30-year partnership would be coming to an end following the release of FIFA 23, leading to the end of the mega popular EA Sports FIFA series. The publisher was quick to confirm its new football game series, EA Sports FC, which is set to be released later this year, and FIFA also announced plans to make its own game as well.
Infantino was speaking at the FIFA electoral congress in Rwanda today after being re-elected for another four years as the head honcho of the governing body. And, the 52-year-old spoke about plans for FIFA's upcoming video game series, claiming they will have news on it "very soon"
"The new FIFA game - the FIFA 25, 26, 27 and so on - will always be the best egame for any girl or boy, we will have news on this very soon."
So, if you were one of the people who were looking forward to FIFA 24 over EA Sports FC, then it looks like you won't be getting it soon based on Infantino's comments. The FIFA president announced the future plans for the FIFA series starting with FIFA 25, and based on the naming scheme that EA and FIFA have used for the past 30 years, FIFA 24 would be the title expected to release this year.
No FIFA 24 – how can FIFA compete with EA Sports FC?
It's fair to say that Infantino isn't the best person to be talking about the gaming side of FIFA, with that quote alone telling you a lot about his attitude towards gaming. Describing FIFA games as "the best egame for any girl or boy" shows that the president assumes only children play these games, so let's hope the 52-year-old doesn't have much input when deciding what to put in the upcoming FIFA titles. And as for calling it an 'egame'? I suppose that's one way to show you're out of touch.
Now, this could just be a simple error from Infantino, and let's be honest, he's had his fair share of unusual speeches in the past. But, it seems very unusual that FIFA 24 wasn't mentioned.
As of now, we know little to no details about FIFA's upcoming game, apart from the fact it looks set to keep the known title of 'FIFA XX'. EA Sports FC is a much easier game to make for EA Sports, particularly with them being a publisher and all, but with FIFA splitting from EA, the governing body now needs to find a new publisher.
We assume that if they haven't got one already, they won't be making and releasing a game this year, at least a game of good quality. If FIFA was to somehow manage to release a football simulation game this year, it would likely be extremely rushed and clearly only made in an effort to make profits.
A good game is supposed to take time when being made from scratch, and waiting to release could work in their favour, as it would give FIFA an idea of what sort of competition EA Sports FC could be. But, at the same time, it could also go against them, with EA Sports FC seemingly already getting a head start on their potential future competition.
After confirming its 300+ licensed partners would be in EA Sports FC, EA is reportedly closing in on a deal to be granted an exclusive license with the Premier League. The name may not be as catchy as FIFA 24, but based on first impressions, it's sure to perform much better than any game FIFA churns out.
