EA SPORTS is discontinuing Fifa, the popular soccer video game.
Fifa 23 will the the final edition of the game.
Since its first release in 1993, the game has been an international classic with realistic kits, players and gameplay.
EA Sports will produce a soccer video game under a new banner called EA Sports FC.
“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,” an EA Sports executive told BBC.
EA Sports is reportedly planning to introduce live event streaming and other in-world events that have been popularized by sandbox-style games like Fortnite.
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The new game will feature all the clubs, teams and stadiums that fans love – but the branding has changed and the Fifa-sponsored World Cup will be written out of the content.
The eSports and professional gaming space are sure to be affected – the EA Fifa eSports league holds an annual World Cup championship with a $200,000 dollar prize.
A representative from Nike said “Our partnership with EA SPORTS FC will authentically grow the ways our communities can play and engage with sport,” in an EA Sports announcement.
The company cited expensive licensing agreements and the strategy pivot as reasons for ending the game’s 30-year run.
