EA Is Looking At Changing FIFA’s Name
Franchise titles have been a constant in the gaming industry. For better or worse, it’s often names or legacy titles that sell your games. We’ve seen it with Ghost Recon and Tom Clancy hopping from subgenre to subgenre with only a name to keep the games together, and series like Banjo-Kazooie losing its spark with only its name and protagonists to connect the original duology with the critically panned Nuts and Bolts.
It’s a difficult line to tread, but often, gaming companies will squander it for the sake of sales. But now, one company might be risking it all with one of its biggest titles and a title that we've all heard of.
FIFA Might Be Getting A Name Change
Of all of the games that could be seeking a name change, FIFA is likely to be the last on everyone’s minds - but the annual football sim could be rebranding very soon.
As part of a large-scale push in consideration by EA to rename some of their titles, FIFA is set to be receiving end of a new change that shifts the brand of the games entirely.
In a press release celebrating the sales figures of FIFA 22, EA has stated "As we look ahead, we’re also exploring the idea of renaming our global EA SPORTS football games. This means we’re reviewing our naming rights agreement with FIFA, which is separate from all our other official partnerships and licences across the football world."
Will FIFA Really Change Its Name?
The interesting thing is that any football fan would be able to tell you a name change is unlikely. The series’ attachment to FIFA as an organisation is intrinsic to the game’s branding, and would be incredibly hard to detach from - from both a consumer and business standpoint.
The leading ramification is the game’s loss of licences, something that keeps the franchise as the leading football title. The loss of further team names, player names, and sponsorships would likely offer them back to their competitors - namely eFootball. Despite eFootball's rocky start, it could still claw its way back.
Regardless, it’s a bold move of EA to even suggest a name change for FIFA - we’ll have to wait and see what comes of it... if anything does at all.
