Publisher Electronic Arts is openly thinking about renaming the FIFA series. However, this should not become a licensing problem.
There is probably no other video game series in the world that so continuously celebrates a new series part every year. We are of course talking about EA’s football simulation FIFA, which has been released every twelve months since 1993 and brings publisher Electronic Arts high sales figures.
This is also the case with FIFA 22, which has once again sold millions of copies and has long since surprised no one. But it could also be the last FIFA – at least under this name. EA hints at this quite openly in a press release:
Looking to the future, we are also exploring the idea of renaming our global EA SPORTS football games. This means that we are reviewing our naming rights agreement with FIFA […].
Licence ends soon: The agreement with FIFA mentioned by EA ends on 31 December 2022 as things currently stand. In view of the success, an extension in itself might be realistic, but possibly not at all in the publisher’s interests. There are certainly reasons for this.
What FIFA is without its name
The most obvious reason is obvious: the licence from FIFA is not cheap. According to a report in the DailyMail the advertising contract weighs in at a whopping 86 million euros. A sum EA might be happy to save – at the expense of its long-standing name. Without the contract, FIFA would simply no longer be called FIFA.
Perhaps the image also plays a role, because the world football association has been associated with negative reports for years. Corruption and fraud are two frequently chosen keywords that are discussed again and again, especially in view of the World Cup in Qatar planned for 2022. And EA itself has had enough experience with negative public portrayal.
What does a renaming mean for licences? According to Cam Weber, head of EA Sports, the naming rights with FIFA are separate from the rest of the licenses and partnerships. There would be separate agreements with the countless leagues, clubs, football players and so on, which would not be affected by a renaming of the series. So the football simulation would still be a strong licensing package even without the big name – plus the developers are working on more partnerships.
However, one licence apart from the name would probably be dropped: That of the official World Cup. Without the partnership with FIFA, there is no World Cup. However, the mode hardly plays a major role in FIFA 22 anyway, given the numerous missing national teams
What could FIFA be called in the future?
It remains to be seen whether EA will really not renew the contract with FIFA and choose a new name in the future. It could also just be an open mind game to gain a better position in the monetary negotiations with the world governing body. True to the motto: If it becomes too expensive, we can do without the name if necessary.
Anyway, the name should not be the biggest problem on the agenda – at least when it comes to the PC version of FIFA. This year’s version is disappointing in terms of content and hardly develops in terms of gameplay, as our test reveals:
FIFA 22 in the PC test: The lowest rating in the series history
If EA decides to change the name anyway, there is only one question: What could the football simulation be called in the future? EA Sports Football? EA Ultimate Team? Tell us your thoughts on this in the comments!
