FIFA and 2K Nearly Struck a Deal for a New Football Game, Report Claims

The partnership between EA Sports and FIFA, the world governing body of international football, produced one of the most successful and popular sports gaming franchises of all time. That all ended with the release of EA FC 24 ; however, as EA and FIFA’s licensing agreement ended and the publisher abandoned one of the most famous brands in the sport, confident that with Pro Evolution Soccer , now eFootball, having waned in popularity, they could survive the bump of switching the franchise name.

Now, according to reporting from Sports Gamers Online, we are learning that the governing body was not content to sit on its hands without a primary title partner and looked to another of sports gaming’s giants for a new deal. 2K Sports is no stranger to doing battle with EA, having once contested nearly all the major US sports video game markets, emerging as the clear winner in basketball and professional wrestling, while allowing their other properties to come to an end.

Talks were apparently quite far along, with discussion of licensing agreements and the type of gameplay and modes available in the game. So, why did they break down, leading to EA Sports’ continued control over the simulation football market? In news that will be unsurprising to anyone who has been paying attention to this (or any prior) World Cup news cycle, it appears to come down to money, specifically FIFA’s desire to squeeze every cent possible out of the World Cup, which kicked off yesterday:

Sources also confirmed to Sports Gamers Online that FIFA ultimately stepped away from negotiations to pursue faster, more profitable opportunities. Instead, the organization focused on licensing agreements and projects tied directly to the World Cup, including partnerships with Sports Interactive and the release of FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition in parallel to the tournament.

It seems that 2K’s desire to release a game that met their internal standards did not align with a release schedule that would have been in time for the World Cup, so talks fell apart. It’s unclear whether they will resume after the World Cup, when 2K will have more time to get their opening release ready.