Projects /
Sport
Football gaming after a 30-year licence
How FIFA planned for life after its 30-year EA SPORTS licence with a multi-developer gaming strategy, from Web3 titles to a mobile game that passed 2.5 million downloads.
Client
FIFA
Sector
Sport
Services
Licensing strategy, digital product, partner selection
Delivered
Gaming strategy, multi-developer licensing model, esports pathway
The outcome
4
Web3 games announced
FIFA's first new titles after the EA partnership were announced in November 2022.
3m+
FIFA Rivals downloads
The mobile game launched in June 2025 and passed 3 million downloads by June 2026.
90+
nations in FIFAe, 2025
Esports carried on across several titles, with more than 90 nations entering in 2025.
The Challenge
For almost 30 years, most fans met FIFA through one video game. The licence reportedly earned FIFA about USD 150m a year, but it also meant one partner owned the relationship with millions of players. When renewal talks stalled, FIFA needed a plan that kept football gaming alive under its own name, without relying on a single studio.
WHY IT MATTERS: INDUSTRY DATA
4
Web3 games
Announced Nov 2022
>
3
m
Downloads
FIFA Rivals, by Jun 2026
>
90
Nations
Entered FIFAe in 2025
What we did
1
Set a non-exclusive model
We designed a model with several developers rather than one, covering simulation and non-simulation games, so no single partner held all the rights.
2
Opened new formats
The strategy made room for new types of game, including Web3 titles and mobile games, to reach fans the console game never did.
3
Kept esports on the pitch
Competitions were planned to run across several titles, so FIFAe could carry on whatever happened to any one game.
What happened next
FIFA confirmed the end of the EA partnership in May 2022. Its first new titles, four Web3 games, were announced that November. FIFA Rivals launched on mobile in June 2025 and reached 1 million downloads in six weeks. FIFA Heroes followed in June 2026 on console, PC and mobile.
