Ditching the FIFA name might’ve cost EA FC 24 millions in sales
The ditching of the household FIFA name was a massive risk for Electronic Arts' iconic footballing games, especially after seeing Konami take Pro Evolution Soccer over to eFootball without much success.
It did seem like EA FC 24 got the rebrand off to a good start, with a generally heightened hype around the game, with modes such as Ultimate Team and Clubs being pivotal to its early success. But that might not actually be the case...
EA FC 24 reportedly sees a 30% drop in physical sales in the UK
According to esteemed journalist and Head of GamesIndustry.biz Christopher Dring, EA FC 24 has seen a 30% drop off in physical sales in the United Kingdom. That's when compared to last year's FIFA 23.
Dring did say that there was an increase in Nintendo Switch sales, though, which proves the efforts to improve for the handheld game has paid off.
There has been quite a reluctance for players to buy EA FC 24 this year, with free-to-play competitors and some misogynistic fans pushing back on the introduction of women footballers into the flagship Ultimate Team mode.
Is a drop in physical sales much to be concerned about for EA FC 24?
Click to enlargeIt's worth bearing in mind that EA FC 24 has been pushing for digitalised versions of the game in recent years, with EA Play offering discounts and free trials.
Dring also claims the EA was expecting to see a drop-off slightly with The physical sales for EA FC 24 are still the second-highest in the industry for 2023 though, with only The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom beating it, even leaving Hogwarts Legacy in the dust.
With a few weeks to push EA FC 24 into the Christmas stockings, and time for parents to figure out the rebrand, a physical sale drop-off might not be too telling after all.
