Ah, FIFA. Once pretty much the greatest soccer sim series of all time, now gone. Or is it? Despite the loss of this precious license, EA Sports didn’t give up. By rebranding their famous franchise to EA Sports FC, the studio made sure that the legacy can live on. Let’s take a look at a major piece of gaming history.
It all started back in 1993 with the release of FIFA International Soccer. Lauded by critics for its incredible presentation – visuals and all – and well-received by gamers, it spawned a sequel, FIFA Soccer 95, and an entire franchise, which lasts to this day.
Before we move on to the history of the FIFA/EA Sports FC series, be sure to check out hot deals on G2A.COM, where you can grab EA Sports FC 25 and more in amazing prices.
30 years of gaming history
FIFA 96 was a major game changer for the series. You had real-world players there and the ability to play on a 3D stadium. FIFA 97 brought even more improvements and added indoor soccer.
But the true revolution came with FIFA: Road to World Cup 98. Visuals? Way better. Modes? Now you could try to win the World Cup, complete with qualifying rounds. Gameplay? Streamlined and upgraded. That’s how FIFA got its first licensed tournament game.
Naturally, a series this big had its major competitor. Konami’s eFootball – known back in the day as Pro Evolution Soccer, aka PES – shook things up big time. What a rivalry that was! EA Sports’ games were more on the arcade-y side of things, while PES strove for realism and more gameplay variety. In the 2000s there were signs that one day the latter might actually take the lead when it comes to popularity and sales.
Still, EA Sports persevered and improved their own gameplay formula – by resorting to the sincerest form of flattery. Borrowing all sorts of stuff from Konami’s games helped FIFA regain their position as the leader on the sport sim market. Years passed and it became the biggest sport-themed video game franchise of all time. And PES? Well, after the fiasco of eFootball (the series’ rebranding) back in 2021, it’s safe to say it might never regain its former glory.
All that glitters ain’t gold
Obviously, it’s not to say that the FIFA series was perfect. After all, the series has been widely criticized for its sequel formula: just slap on a +1 number on the title, add some minor improvements, upgrade the graphics a bit, and voila! A brand new FIFA game!
Naturally, what else can you expect in a football game? There’s only so much you can do with it, right? So it’s all about updating the core gameplay and making it more realistic than ever before.
Still, there were some new features which were wildly successful. The Ultimate Team mode, commonly known as FUT, proved to be a major hit. Introduced back in 2008, in FIFA 09, it lets you build an all-star team using purchasable player packs. Sort of like in collectible card games. Then you can compete with either AI or other players, reaping all sorts of in-game rewards.
As popular as it is, especially among younger players (who love to watch FUT streams and pack openings), the mode drew some criticism, as the whole loot box thing reeks of gambling. This didn’t stop it from becoming a smash hit, though.
What happened to the FIFA name?
So, you have a fantastically popular franchise, somewhat synonymous with soccer. What can go wrong? Unfortunately, some things happened which ended up with EA Sports losing the FIFA license.
Back in 2023, FIFA and EA Sports failed to reach an agreement and the former withdrew their support, forcing the latter to drop the series. But this didn’t deter them from continuing, though. The studio created a direct successor to their hit, EA Sports FC, establishing exclusive partnerships with different leagues and obtaining all sorts of licenses. FIFA (the organization) says that they’re looking for a new studio to carry the torch. This means that we might get two series of games: EA Sports FC and FIFA, this time made by a new company.
Either way, the original series came to an end, but as we can all see, it’s just a matter of naming. EA Sports’ most popular franchise lives on. And if you’re looking forward to grabbing your own copy of either EA Sports FC 24 or the latest release, EA Sports FC 25, head over to G2A.COM for some sweet deals on these!
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