Summary
- A new rumor suggests 2K will develop the next FIFA game.
- Past reports indicated 2K may have been eyeing the FIFA license even before EA decided not to renew its brand rights in 2022.
- FIFA has already confirmed its video game series will continue without EA but has yet to provide details on that project.
A newly surfaced rumor suggests that 2K will be the developer of the next official FIFA game. The Novato, California-based publisher was previously said to have been eyeing the FIFA license for years.
2023 marked the first year without a new FIFA game in three decades. Since its inception in 1993, the series has been developed and published by Electronic Arts. FIFA and EA Sports decided to end their partnership in 2022 after the latter proved unwilling to pay the licensing fees demanded by the former. Following that turn of events, EA delivered one final entry in the franchise stipulated by its now-concluded contract, FIFA 23, which was released in September 2022.
EA Sports FC Sales Down Compared to FIFA
Despite a generally solid initial launch, EA Sports FC is experiencing a drop in sales compared to its predecessor since dropping the FIFA name.
And while the company continued putting its football simulation expertise to work with the newly started EA Sports FC series, FIFA decided to start looking for a new developer partner. It is now said to have found that collaborator in 2K, according to a new rumor started by self-dubbed "video game researcher" and Twitter user Kurakasis. Although this individual never claimed to possess insider industry knowledge, they have a years-long track record of digging up scoops like the title of the new Indiana Jones game from public sources.
Breaking with their usual MO, Kurakasis did not attribute their latest leak to any particular source. They have also avoided outright stating that 2K is the new FIFA series developer, having instead opted for coyer wording that merely hints at the allegation. The Best War Games's review of 2K and its parent company Take-Two Interactive's IP filing history did not reveal any activity that would point to 2K planning a FIFA game. FIFA itself also didn't file to secure any video game-related trademarks following its breakup with EA. But the football governing body did already confirm that a new FIFA game is happening without EA back in mid-2023.
2K Sports FIFA Game Rumors Have Been Around for Years
The notion of that project involving 2K is neither implausible nor new. For one, the company boasts an extensive track record of creating sports simulations, with its portfolio including highly successful franchises such as NBA 2K, PGA Tour 2K, and WWE 2K. There have also been indications that 2K was considering buying the FIFA license even before EA officially decided not to renew its exclusive rights.
Given that state of affairs, some industry watchers believe that 2K Sports is the best publisher for FIFA in the series' post-EA era. Regardless of whether that assessment is accurate, merely securing the rights to the brand wouldn't necessarily be enough for the company to compete with EA Sports FC on equal grounds, even if it were to deliver a mechanically superior game. That's because EA wasted no time in securing exclusive licensing rights to use some of the world's most popular football competitions and teams in its new game series, which the company has repeatedly identified as one of the driving forces behind the success of its previous franchise.
EA Sports FC 24
- Released
- September 29, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
Get more ways to win for the club. Team up with friends in your favorite modes and manage your club to victory with more tactical control than ever before. Get your team playing like the world’s best with FC IQ. An overhaul of tactical foundations across the game delivers greater strategic control and more realistic collective movement at the team level, while a new AI model, powered by real-world data, influences player tactics through all-new Player Roles. New additions to Manager and Player Career let you live out the biggest storylines from the real-world game with Live Start Points**; rewrite the stories of past ICONs with today’s teams in Player Career; and for the first time, play an authentic Women’s Career experience, taking control of a club or player from the top five women’s leagues.
- ESRB
- E For Everyone
- Developer(s)
- EA Vancouver, EA Romania
- Publisher(s)
- EA Sports
- Engine
- Frostbite 3
- Number of Players
- 1-4
- Split Screen Orientation
- N/A (Shared Screen)
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, PS4, Switch, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- Sports
- Metascore
- 76
- Platforms That Support Crossplay
- PC, PS5 & Xbox Series X|S and PS4 & Xbox One
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- Local Co-Op Support
- 1-4 Players
