EA Sports FC: The Secret Behind FIFA's Unprecedented Success Revealed!

Highlights

EA Sports FC 24, the first soccer title released by EA since losing the FIFA license, is facing a significant 30% drop in physical sales compared to FIFA 23.

Despite its strong overall performance, FC 24 is facing challenges in matching the fan support and sales numbers attained by its predecessor. The decline in sales may be linked to factors including the absence of the FIFA branding, negative feedback from dissatisfied fans, and a lack of noteworthy enhancements in gameplay when compared to previous FIFA games.

EA Sports FC 24, EA's first soccer title released after losing the FIFA license, is experiencing a 30% decline in physical sales compared to FIFA 23. The previous FIFA game marked the end of the partnership between the game publisher and the international soccer association, allowing EA to release FIFA-branded games. This final installment was immensely successful, leading to expectations of FIFA 23 becoming the franchise's most triumphant release. Now EA must navigate without the iconic brand.

Although FIFA 23 may not be regarded as one of the best FIFA games, it set an exceptionally high standard in terms of fan support and sales, making it a tough act to follow. Now that EA Sports FC 24 has been released and data is being analyzed, it is apparent that the inaugural entry in the rebranded series is struggling to match the sales figures of its predecessor. While the title is performing well overall, it notably falls significantly behind FIFA 23 in terms of physical disc sales.

According to Christopher Dring from GamesIndustry.biz, sales of physical copies of EA Sports FC 24 have declined by 30% compared to FIFA 23, as reported on Twitter. While EA had expected a decrease in sales due to the name change, such a significant loss could still be concerning for the publisher.

Although the removal of the FIFA brand may have played a role, there are other factors to consider. Disgruntled fans have been giving negative reviews in large numbers, leading to a significant drop in the game's score on various platforms. Additionally, similar to other titles in EA's sports franchises, there have been complaints that this new game fails to sufficiently enhance gameplay and distinguish itself from previous versions.

Dring noted in a previous post that FIFA 24 for the Nintendo Switch is outperforming FIFA 23. He suggests that this may be because recent FIFA games for the Switch were not entirely new releases, but rather updates with updated player rosters and visual enhancements. On the other hand, FC 24 is a completely new title for the Switch, which has led Nintendo fans to prioritize purchasing it. This observation supports the notion that lower sales on other platforms are a result of minimal changes in the series, rather than the absence of the FIFA brand.

Considering the future release of a new FIFA game without involvement from EA, it is important for the publisher to establish the success of their FC series and position it as the true heir to the FIFA franchise. However, the decrease in sales does not appear to be the most promising beginning.

EA Sports FC 24 is available now on PC, PS5, PS4, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.