Why the Fifa games could come back, but not as we know them

The same name, but different... The Fifa video game series is expected to make a comeback, but not as we know it.

You might remember there was a change to Fifa games recently, one of the biggest brands in gaming history.

EA was the company behind the original Fifa games. But they split from the Fifa brand in 2022.

Electronic Arts (EA for short) continued to make football video games, but from 2023 they came under a new title, called EA Sports FC.

Fifa, which is football's governing body, has been looking for a new partner to make a new game - which would include the official Fifa title and licenses for real life football competitions.

Why could this be important news for Fifa fans?

EA and FIFA was a partnership that included 38 video games, released each year, for nearly 30 years

Previously, Fifa said it planned to release its own games in future, saying: "The Fifa name is the only global, original title."

Since then, it's been rumoured that a deal has been reached between Fifa and 2K Games to do this.

Newsround contacted Fifa who said they won't comment on speculation about who they may work with on any future titles.

2K Games, is part of a larger gaming company called Take-Two Interactive.

They make lots of games for consoles and smart phones, including various sporting titles with the 2K name, such as NBA 2K24 and WWE 2K24.

A 2K source told us: "“We won't comment on rumours and speculation.”

Why did the partnership end between FIFA and EA?

The split between Fifa and EA followed a reported disagreement over the cost of the licence to use the Fifa name.

But, despite the name change, EA's FC24 was the UK's best selling video game last year. it sold 2.25m copies in 2023, only slightly below Fifa 23, which sold 2.39m copies in 2022.

If the Fifa games were to come back, albeit in collaboration with a different gaming company, fans would be able to play a video game version of competitions such as the World Cup once again.

That's because Fifa owns the rights to the competition, something EA can no longer use in their games.

What do you think about Fifa possibly coming back? Let us know in the comments!