Electronic Arts or EA has officially dropped its partnership with FIFA. Stating that it was no longer viable due to issues surrounding the licensing, the video game company will instead move forward with their new line EA Sports FC. But what direction will this banner go in and what else could EA be developing, now that they have lost one of their major brands?
From an expansion of the footballing or soccer titles available to a variety of exciting different sporting opportunities to explore, there's a lot more that EA could do with their massive platform. What's more, just because the athletics department may have suffered a loss, that doesn't mean that EA's development has paused in other areas!
League-Centric Titles
It's a complicated task to unravel what EA will have the freedom to do moving forward. While they won't be able to create tie-in games for Fifa-centric events like the World Cup, they have independently signed up plenty of players and teams for use in future titles.
That would suggest that EA has some very specific plans for them. Perhaps they will focus on a league-centric model, rather than an all-encompassing project. Of course, there are those international leagues that are separate from Fifa itself, but perhaps there is a loophole where some of the largest British teams can still be involved in a Fifa-less game. EA has confirmed that their deals do already include the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, and Uefa.
Multiplayer Exclusive Football Game
Even single-player games now have multiplayer modes and multiplayer experiences are becoming more and more important within the sporting world and indeed on consoles in general. Gaming is becoming all about connecting, and FIFA fans will know just how popular those online options really were amongst players.
It's plausible that EA wants to lean into those opportunities and perhaps create a multiplayer exclusive release, that not only pushes elements like Xbox Live and Xbox Game Pass, in a continuation of their partnership with Microsoft but also benefits perhaps from microtransactions. It would be a controversial move, but a feasible one considering how reliant FIFA is on multiplayer.
Manager Focused Experiences
Football Manager is the kind of title that soccer fans love to get thoroughly involved in. In fact, the sim genre, in general, is absolutely massive amongst sporting enthusiasts. While FIFA combined some of those elements, it never quite mastered this area of its well-seasoned run.
EA may be looking to develop their own Football Manager style games, that can tie in to, or perhaps even interact with, their latest EA Sports FC line. It would be a shift in direction for EA, but one that could update alongside the industry itself, adding to the live and in-the-moment aspect that developers are constantly striving for.
Detailed Career Arc
Career mode has continued to become such a popular aspect of Fifa, as players genuinely love customization and the notion that a story-based narrative could be woven into the fabric of the title. Why not release a solo experience that solely focuses on that kind of arc?
There's a reason that shows like Ted Lasso are so popular right now, so why not give players their own opportunity to manage and create an original team of players, with unique personalities and traits. It would be easy to get fans invested in the development of their group, as they make their way up the table, following them on their failures and successes!
New Sports Opportunities
EA already crafts a range of sports-related titles. Whether it's the UFC, NFL, or NCAA, the company has managed to create meaningful relationships with major sporting brands, so that they can bring them into the digital world. What other sports could benefit from this kind of partnership?
Tennis, rugby, and boxing are just a few sports that EA could either revisit or explore for the first time. There's no telling how the public might latch on to one of these kinds of titles, which already have an audience built-in thanks to the popularity of the sports themselves. Internationally, cricket might even be a surprising avenue!
Step Into Virtual Reality
Virtual reality could be the future of the industry. Plenty of video game companies are investing their time and resources into developing titles that audiences can experience in the virtual world. Would a football-focused game also work in this different dimension?
It's difficult to say as no one has really done it before. EA has stepped their foot in the VR waters before with the release of titles like Star Wars Squadrons using the technology. With so many years working on FIFA, EA would have the sporting knowledge to maybe get this to genuinely work.
A Sports Entertainment Hybrid
Sports entertainment as a hybrid is becoming the new way of the world. EA will be looking at how they can combine the arts with football, in a unique way that perhaps modernizes their games on consoles. There are other brands out there that already combine these elements though.
If EA is looking to get into the sports entertainment business then wrestling might be the perfect avenue. Companies like WWE and AEW have partnerships with video game developers already with 2K and Yukes respectively, but whether it's with one of these groups or someone new, it's an intriguing new direction for EA to explore.
Further Star Wars Stories
LucasArts used to be the studio responsible for overseeing the Star Wars IP. This has continued to evolve over the years, with EA and LucasFilm Games, alongside other studios, now taking on the responsibility. EA has already released projects like the latest Battlefront installments, Squadrons, and Jedi: Fallen Order.
Although they once held exclusive access, this has now been lost in favor of a wider approach. EA could focus its resources on developing further stories set in the galaxy far, far away, as they have already begun to do. A Jedi: Fallen Order sequel is in the works, but with FIFA's loss perhaps freeing up some time and resources, should they be moved to the Star Wars license instead?
Fornite-Style Release
Fortnite is the multiplayer title that all developers envy. It has endless possibilities and is an absolute well for continuing to turn a profit. EA could be looking to go all-in on a battleground situation just like Fortnite to take advantage of the market that currently exists.
Alternatively, they can look at this model and take a left-field stance, combining their football experiences with this kind of game. Fifa has always tried to simulate real life. What if EA went in an alternative direction, perhaps inspired by both arcade-style gameplay and Fortnite, creating a soccer-focused battleground of epic proportions. The possibilities are endless.
Original Direction
EA has a lot of exciting games currently in development. A final FIFA title will be released, alongside a few more Star Wars entries including a first-person shooter from Respawn. Sports like PGA Tour and College Football are being revisited, alongside stories in the Mass Effect, Dead Space, and Dragon Age universes, with Bioware using their engine.
It might be time for EA to invest some genuine effort into creating original properties. Licensing in particular has been quite the headache and some established franchises will eventually find diminishing returns. Surely there are plenty of other original concepts out there for the studio to explore.