FIFA and EA Sports to end their partnership

EA will continue to make football video games, but after FIFA 23 they will come under a new banner, EA Sports FC. EA Sports made the first Fifa game in 1993. The game has generated more than $20 billion in sales over the past two decades.

"We're thankful for our many years of a great partnership with FIFA,"

EA CEO Andrew Wilson said in a statement.

"The future of global football is very bright, and fandom around the world has never been stronger. We have an incredible opportunity to put EA SPORTS FC at the heart of the sport, and to bring even more innovative and authentic experiences to the growing football audience."

EA Sports vice-president David Jackson also told the BBC: "The world of football and the world of entertainment is changing, and they clash within our product. In the future, our players will demand of us the ability to be more expansive in that offering. At the moment, we engage in play as a primary form of interactive experience.

"Soon, watching and creating content are going to be equally as important for fans. Under the licensing conventions that we had agreed with Fifa 10 years ago, there were some restrictions that weren't going to allow us to be able to build those experiences for players."

Fifa says it plans to release its own rival games with third-party studios and publishers. A few of them will launch during the third quarter of this year. The first is a tailored gaming experience featuring the biggest event on earth, the

.

"I can assure you that the only authentic, real game that has the FIFA name will be the best one available for gamers and football fans,"

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said.

"The FIFA name is the only global, original title. FIFA 23, FIFA 24, FIFA 25, and FIFA 26, and so on -- the constant is the FIFA name and it will remain forever and remain THE BEST."

"The interactive gaming and esports sector are on a path of unrivaled growth and diversification. FIFA's strategy is to ensure we can make the most of all future options and ensure a wide range of products and opportunities for gamers, fans, member associations, and partners."

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