“FIFA 23, the 30th installment in the well-known FIFA video game franchise developed by EA Sports, has generated favorable reactions from the football community since its release a year ago. This latest iteration of the game, which represents the final installment to be released under the FIFA banner, has exceeded all expectations in terms of sales and is anticipated by EA to establish itself as the most successful game in the franchise’s history, breaking all previous records.”
Electronic Arts updated the performance of FIFA 23 during their third-quarter earnings results presentation on Tuesday. Andrew Wilson, the CEO, announced during the conference call that the net bookings for the FIFA franchise have experienced growth of 4% from the start of the year till now.
FIFA 23 was released in September 2022 and had an impressive launch, setting new records for the franchise regarding player count. Indeed, after a successful launch, there has been a move towards digital sales; the first week of boxed game sales in the UK for FIFA 23 outperformed those of FIFA 22. The latest FIFA title saw a turnout of over 10.3 million players in its first week, surpassing the 9.1 million players who played FIFA 22 in its first ten days of release. As a result, Electronic Arts anticipates that FIFA 23 will set a new record as the most successful game in the franchise’s history. Only time will reveal what the future holds. Time will tell what will happen in the future. The “EA player network,” as referred to by the publisher, has reached over 650 million players across its titles. The live services and related net bookings have seen a 4% year-over-year increase and now makeup 75% of EA’s total net bookings, driven mainly by purchases of in-game items such as FUT packs and Sims cosmetics.
During the quarter, EA emphasized NHL 23 and Need for Speed Unbound as AAA titles of exceptional quality and reported that their teams delivered updates for 36 tags, totaling 128. Additionally, the Sims saw a significant increase in players, attracting over new users, with daily, weekly, and monthly active users increasing by double digits compared to the previous year.
The UK’s GfK Chart-Track data, reported by GamesIndustry.biz, shows that the PlayStation 5 has emerged as the top platform for FIFA launch sales, with 41% of boxed copies sold for the new console. 30% of the sales went towards the PS4, 17% towards the Xbox One, and 6% towards both the Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch. EA is set to undergo a massive rebranding effort later this year. Despite being the publisher’s most successful game, FIFA, the company remains confident about its ability to succeed without the license. Still, such a significant change does come with some degree of risk.
Nick Wlodyka, the head of EA SPORTS FC as SVP and GM, conveyed his excitement regarding FIFA 23’s success with the following statement: “The feedback from our fans has been incredible, and we’re thrilled that they are engaging with the game and their preferred players and teams in unprecedented numbers.” The FIFA 23 video game has been crowned the highest-selling sports video game franchise by Guinness World Records. Thus, with the release of FIFA 23, EA will conclude its 29-year association with FIFA and will label future football games under the EA Sports Football Club brand.
FIFA 23 is the last EA title to bear the FIFA name before the license expires, and the two organizations go their separate ways. EA announced in May 2022 that they would start a “new era” with the EA Sports FC series launch in July 2023. On the same day, FIFA president Gianni Infantino revealed FIFA’s plan to launch a rival game. Including the fictional AFC Richmond team from the beloved Ted Lasso comedy series, thanks to a partnership between FIFA 23 and Apple TV+, offers an exciting opportunity for fans of the show. However, it is unlikely to be the primary driver of FIFA 23’s success.
“There are even more exciting developments ahead for authentic and engaging football experiences. The Men’s and Women’s World Cups are upcoming, and we have some thrilling updates in store for the female club football content in the game.” These advancements will bring players a more genuine and engaging experience.”