FIFA vs EA Sports FC: What Happened to the FIFA Games?

The short version

EA and FIFA — the football governing body — had a licensing deal going back to 1993: EA paid FIFA for the right to put the FIFA name on its football game. When that deal came up for renewal the two sides reportedly couldn't agree on terms (the figures and conditions that have been reported are disputed), and they parted ways. EA renamed its series EA Sports FC, starting with EA Sports FC 24 in 2023. FIFA kept its name and said it would license it to other partners for new games.

So is EA Sports FC just FIFA with a new name?

In terms of lineage, essentially yes — EA Sports FC is the direct continuation of the game people played as “FIFA”: the same studio, the same engine, the same modes (including Ultimate Team), and EA still holds the real-world league, club and player licences that make the game look authentic. What it lost was the FIFA name and FIFA's branding. So “FIFA the video game” didn't disappear; it was renamed.

Then what is the new FIFA game?

Because FIFA now licenses its name out, more than one game can carry it. The headline one is the football title being built by Delphi Interactive for Netflix, expected around the 2026 World Cup — a separate game from a separate company, not connected to EA or EA Sports FC. There's also a more arcade-style game, FIFA Heroes, from a different studio again.

More detail on each: the Netflix FIFA game and FIFA Heroes vs the Netflix FIFA game.

Quick timeline

• 1993— EA launches FIFA International Soccer; the FIFA name stays on EA's football game for the next three decades.
• 2022 — EA announces the partnership with FIFA will end; the series will be renamed.
• 2023 — EA Sports FC 24 launches — same game, new name. FIFA says it will work with other partners on new FIFA-branded games.
• 2025 — Netflix and Delphi Interactive reveal a new FIFA football game coming to Netflix.
• 2026 — the Netflix FIFA game is expected to launch around the World Cup.