Trademark Filings Hint FIFA to Be Rebranded to EA Sports FC

Last week, we had heard from EA that they might be thinking of ditching the FIFA label for their football sim. While some may think this could have been caused by the PES to eFootball change, it would most likely be because of the amount they have to pay FIFA every year to use their name in the games.

EA Is Finally Rebranding Their Iconic FIFA Franchise to EA Sports FC — FIFA 22

This hint came to us from Cam Weber, the EA Sports Group General Manager, who wrote the following in a blog post on the EA website.

As we look ahead, we’re also exploring the idea of renaming our global EA SPORTS football games. This means we’re reviewing our naming rights agreement with FIFA, which is separate from all our other official partnerships and licenses across the football world.
Cam Weber

Now, we have news of EA filing new European trademarks for something they have called EA Sports FC. These were filed on October 1^st with the UK’s Intellectual Property Office and the EU’s Intellectual Property Office for “computer game software.”

The FIFA branding has always been distinct from all the other kinds of licenses incorporated into the game. Previous EA executives such as Peter Moore have stated that the company has done more for FIFA’s brand image than the organization itself. This move is also in line with EA’s other decisions, such as rebooting and renaming PGA Tour as EA Sports PGA Tour.

So, for now, it seems like FIFA 22 will be the last game to bear the organization’s name. There are other reasons to consider a name change as well. FIFA is undoubtedly immense, but with a big name comes some significant controversies. Rebranding can help the company step away from some of these, like the FUT and player packs, aspects that many people have deemed a highly unethical form of monetization.

READ: Foot Tennis, Dodge Ball, and More Revealed in FIFA 22 Volta Trailer

EA has pushed back against this criticism and states that children should not spend money on these features. But, given the level of scrutiny on the company from various regulatory bodies and entire governments of some countries, a fresh start may be what the company has needed for a while now.