Why FIFA 24 is changing its name to EA FC 24

Football fans who wanted to buy FIFA 24 might be surprised to see no games in their shops this September. That's perfectly normal, since the FIFA game series has now changed its name to EA Sports FC 24. We'll tell you why!

From FIFA Soccer to EA FC

Since 1993, FIFA and Electronic Arts had an agreement allowing Electronic Arts to release football games. This series of games was called FIFA Soccer, then FIFA Football when the year 2000 arrived, before simply becoming FIFA in 2005.

This partnership enabled Electronic Arts and its EA Sports division to include the official names of competitions and players in order to integrate them directly into the game, adding an incomparable dimension and realism. But it is precisely over the rights to use these names that the situation has soured between FIFA and Electronic Arts.

The two parties last signed a ten-year contract in 2013. Since then, the FIFA series of games has enjoyed growing success and has generated over 20 billion dollars in profits for Electronic Arts. Then came 2022 and the time came to renegotiate the contract. FIFA wanted to increase the price of its licences in order to take its share of the cake. Although we'll never know how the negotiations went, if we're to believe it various reportsit would appear that FIFA has simply doubled its rates regarding the use of its licences and associated names. Electronic Arts refused and looked for alternative solutions.

As a result, Electronic Arts' new football simulation has dropped the name FIFA and become EA Sports FC. An easily recognisable name for all fans of the licence, who should be able to make the transition with ease.

As for the names of the players, Electronic Arts has dealt directly with other partners that they have had the opportunity to meet over the last 30 years of development. These include FIFPRO which represents no fewer than 65,000 professional football players around the world. By dealing directly with FIFPRO rather than FIFA, Electronic Arts has been able to retain the names and portraits of several thousand players, including the most famous. As for players not covered by FIFPRO, they are replaced in-game by lookalikes with virtually identical names.

For its part, FIFA wanted to put on a brave face and, although it regrets not having found common ground with Eletronic Arts, it is delighted that it will now be able to find new partners to create new games. In reality, however, it is likely to be very complicated to find new partners. find developers with as much experience as Eletronic Arts and capable of competing with them in this field.

But is EA FC 24 really FIFA 24?

Yes and no. FC 24 can be seen as a natural extension of FIFA. The title retains all the game modes of its predecessor, including the much-loved FUT mode. It's the same way of working, the same game engine and the same gameplay.

But FC 24 also took the opportunity to add some major new features to make it the ultimate simulation. Whether it's the arrival of women's football in FUTthe use of HyperMotionV or the addition of Playing stylesThis latest instalment in the franchise is far richer than its predecessor.

Read our article: All the new features of FC 24 compared to FIFA