If you were expecting to buy a game called FIFA 24 this year, you're out of luck. But, the good news is that EA Sports' football game series is still running, just under different branding.
EA Sports' FIFA series is by far the most popular football game series, and has been for the last 30 years, with EA having sold over 325 million copies of FIFA games as of 2021, with plenty more having been sold since then. So, if the franchise has been such a raging success, why won't EA be making a FIFA 24 in 2023?
Well, it's because EA is now moving forward with a new football gaming series, EA Sports FC. The first instalment of the new game series is likely to be called EA FC 24 according to recent leaks, with the new title leaked to be released later this year. EA's decision to move away from FIFA branding was formally confirmed last year, with the 30-year partnership between the publisher and the international governing body of association football officially coming to an end.
Following the confirmation of the divorce, EA and FIFA both confirmed that FIFA 23 would be the final title released under the EA Sports FIFA series, and with the game coming towards the end of its cycle, it seems EA is already distancing itself from FIFA 23, with all its social channels now focused around EA FC 24. But, will there be any FIFA games released in future?
EA FC 24 replaces FIFA 24 – but it's not the end of FIFA (probably)
FIFA and EA ended their three-decade relationship after the publisher decided it didn't want to "pay a premium" to license the FIFA branding. After the decision, EA announced its plans to move forward with EA FC 24, whilst FIFA hit back by confirming it would also make its own game.
FIFA announced it will launch a variety of new football video games developed with third-party studios and publishers, whilst FIFA president Gianni Infantino may have let slip that there won't be a FIFA 24. Speaking at the FIFA electoral congress in March this year, 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", said Infantino. With no mention made regarding FIFA 24, it appears that we won't be getting a FIFA 24 released this year, with FIFA still needing to find a publisher for the game.
EA has maintained its relationship with its 300-plus license partners, which means the authenticity we saw feature in FIFA 23 will remain. So, if you're looking to buy a new football game this year, EA FC 24 will still probably be the one to get.
