The initial launch numbers of the first non-FIFA entry in Electronic Arts’ long-running soccer sim franchise are finally in and they’re causing quite a bit of a stir.
As per GamesIndustry.biz’s Chris Dring, EA Sports FC 24 beat all games, including Hogwarts Legacy, in physical sales in the United Kingdom save for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The only catch is that the physical sales for the game are down by as much as 30% when compared to FIFA 23.
For over two decades, EA had partnered with FIFA and used football’s foremost association’s name as a key component of its branding before cutting ties with the organization last year.
Physical launch sales of EA Sports FC in the UK are down 30% over last year’s FIFA 23. EA had expected some short-term impact as a result of the rebrand
— Christopher Dring (@Chris_Dring) October 1, 2023
As its inaugural EA Sports FC entry, EA made sure that the title made an impression and it didn’t disappointment. For the first time in the series’ history, EA Sports FC 24 added the top women’s league from countries like England, France, Germany, Spain, and the US, to the widely popular (but also highly controversial) Ultimate Mode. The latest installment allows male and female players to play together, even giving bonuses for those affiliated with similar teams (like Chelsea Women and Chelsea FC).
But, that’s not all. The Nintendo Switch version received an upgrade as well. From FIFA 18 through FIFA 23, EA updated the rosters of each new FIFA entry. This meant Switch owners got the same game for years, literally. For EA Sports FC 24, this wasn’t the case. The game finally made the switch to the Frostbite engine and achieved parity with other platforms, resulting in a massive jump in physical sales over FIFA 23.
Thus, this brings us to the question, why did it lose nearly a third of physical sales compared to FIFA 23?
While it’s true that more users are opting for digital releases in recent years than ever before, often encouraged by the developers and publishers giving bonuses for buying digital copies of games, 30% is a sizable chunk. Is the physical to digital shift enough to account for such a massive “drop”? It’s possible, but highly unlikely. You can’t deny that some people might not have a clue that EA Sports FC 24 is basically just FIFA 24, which might explain the drop. It isn’t out of the realm of possibility for some customers to stick to FIFA 23 simply because they don’t know they’re missing out on a new entry.
Of course, another possibility is because of the pre-order benefits. EA went all-in on the pre-order bonuses for buying a digital copy of EA Sports FC 24. Not only that, but the most expensive version of the game, the Ultimate Edition, isn’t available to buy physically at launch. Finally, EA throws in a hefty discount if you buy your copy of EA Sports FC 24 digitally through the FIFA 23 menu.
Again though, 30% is 30%, and we’re talking about the United Kingdom here, arguably the most football-crazed market in the world.
According to Dring, EA “expected some short-term impact as a result of the rebrand,” so the relatively low physical sales numbers of EA Sports FC 24 likely isn’t sounding any alarm bells. Besides, EA no longer has to pay EA a premium. Even if EA Sports FC 24 might not have sold as much as FIFA 23, this might turn out to be a net positive for the company.
Unfortunately, all we can do is to speculate until EA confirms our suspicions in its next earnings call.
Speaking of EA, the company has quietly delisted the older FIFA entries likely due to losing its licensing rights. Finally, FIFA has vowed to release the “best egame” ever after cutting ties with EA.
