EA SPORTS’ Next Game Will Seemingly Still Be Called FIFA 23

FIFA is the 6th best-selling video game franchise of all time with over 325 million units sold worldwide. Electronic Arts has released 38 titles since 1993 that hold the “FIFA” name, including FIFA Mobile, FIFA Street, and the FIFA World Cup series. However, there is trouble in paradise, as reported by The New York Times, FIFA has asked Electronic Arts for $1 billion over a 4-year cycle. Under the current license, EA SPORTS maintains exclusive rights to release FIFA-branded action and management video games until December 31, 2022.

FIFA 22 received an Australian Classification for Xbox Series X/S back in February 2021. Currently, we have not been able to locate a FIFA 23 rating, as this may come around July similar to the general FIFA 22 rating. However, it seems like Electronic Arts is still calling the next installment “FIFA 23” in-house, as shown by a file name on SteamDB with the description “Temp Release build for Mainline testing FIFA 23.”

Within the past year, there have been trademarks filed on both sides that point to a new direction for the FIFA franchise. Electronic Arts filed for EA Sports FC, while Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has filed for both trademarks FIFA+ and FIFAe.  In a previously released episode of the GrubbSnax podcast, Jeff Grubb stated that Electronic Arts is definitely dropping the FIFA name and EA Sports FC will be the new name.

Electronic Arts has a hard decision; cut ties with the FIFA name early before its license ends and release EA Sports FC this year instead, or wait until after the license ends and continue with FIFA 23. FIFA is also in a predicament, as it will need to decide to create its game in-house or find some third-party party developer. Either way, the license that Electronic Arts currently holds for the FIFA franchise will most likely not get extended at the end of the year.

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