EA Sports’ moneyspinning FIFA franchise has been a cornerstone in the life of sports game fans for many a year. Their critically acclaimed football simulation has been the market leader in sports games for decades. But 2023 marks the end of an era.
That’s because the California-based game producer and football’s governing body have been unable to come to terms on a new rights deal, meaning that FIFA 23 will mark the last time that EA Sports produces a game featuring the FIFA name, for the foreseeable future at least. It was thought that FIFA president Gianni Infantino was seeking a deal worth as much as $1bn for a four-year rights deal, an eye-watering amount of money that EA Sports simply couldn’t agree to.
The End of an Era
As such, FIFA and EA’s almost three-decade-long partnership will come to an end. Games producers such as 2K Sports will now have their eyes set on a lucrative partnership with the powers that be at the head of the footballing table. But over the years, EA Sports has given us a franchise that will go down in history as one of the finest ever produced.
Not only did EA Sports manage to pioneer the world of eSports with the groundbreaking FIFA eWorld Cup, but they also introduced a novel monetization strategy in video games through in-game purchases, particularly with the introduction of FC coins, gamers can pay for upgrades to their virtual team, which has greatly improved players’ gaming experience.
The game mode Ultimate Team was one of the first to feature in-game “loot boxes” – or packs as they are known in the game – which allows gamers to pay real money to upgrade their virtual team. The packs have revolutionized the way gamers interact with a video game, allowing players to play strategically, akin to the strategy games found at https://www.ignitioncasino.eu/crypto/bitcoin-poker.
But it isn’t just Ultimate Team’s loot boxes and the eWorld Cup that have seen EA Sports’ franchise become the market leader when it comes to sports games. They have also managed to seal partnerships with real-life football stars to feature on the cover of their video game. So without further ado, here are the cover stars from the most recent installments in the FIFA franchise.
FIFA 23, FIFA 22 & FIFA 21 – Kylian Mbappé
The cover star for the last three installments of the franchise has been Paris Saint-Germain and France star Kylian Mbappé, and it’s clear to see why. As things stand, the 24-year-old is perhaps the finest football player on the planet. His performances at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar back that up.
The Frenchman was instrumental in leading Les Bleus to a second consecutive final at football’s grandest tournament, even top scoring in the Arabian Gulf State with eight goals in seven games. His exploits in the final were even more incredible.
The pacey attacker became the first player in 56 years to score a World Cup final hat trick, and he now holds the record scored for most goals in the showpiece fixture. His heroics weren’t enough, however, as Lionel Messi’s Argentina managed to down the French on penalties in the final at the Lusail Iconic Stadium.
Despite being just 24 years of age, Mbappé is just four goals behind Miroslav Kloase’s all-time record of 16 goals scored at the FIFA World Cup. The PSG star also has already racked up 223 goals in his young career, and he remains the brightest talent on the planet today. He looks set to take over Lionel Messi’s throne at the summit of world football for years to come.
It is also worth mentioning that Sam Kerr became the first female football star to feature on the cover of the video game when she was positioned alongside Mbappé on FIFA 23.
FIFA 20 – Eden Hazard
If Kylian Mbappé looks set to inherit Lionel Messi’s throne in 2023, Eden Hazard was the player that looked set to do that four years ago. The Belgian playmaker had just sealed a €150m move to Real Madrid following seven incredible years at Chelsea, and he was the one chosen to replace Cristiano Ronaldo at the Bernabeu.
On paper, it looked like a match made in heaven. Los Blancos had won the coveted UEFA Champions League in four of the previous six seasons. They had struggled in the 2018/19 season without their star man Ronaldo – who was shipped off to Juventus for €100m – but in Hazard, had a tailor-made replacement that guaranteed success.
But unfortunately, it hasn’t worked out. The former Lille winger has endured a tumultuous time in the Spanish capital which has seen injuries derail his development. Now aged 32, it looks like Hazard’s best days are behind him, but at least he will always have the cover of FIFA 20 to look back on with fondness.
