EA Sports FC 25 is gearing up for its September 2024 launch, and football fans are eager to know what’s coming (and what’s not) to the next video game.
EA FC has been known for having the most licensed clubs, stadiums and tournaments than any other football game, but two major teams won’t return in the upcoming entry.
A big draw for fans of the series is the authentic feel of playing as some of the most popular real-life football clubs, which is also why so many people buy the latest game every year.
Fans of Italy’s Serie A will be disappointed as two of the major league’s clubs won’t be available in EA FC 25 due to licensing woes.
AC Milan and Inter, two of the world’s best teams, are not coming, as both clubs have signed exclusive deals with rival game eFootball, formerly known as Pro Evolution Soccer (PES).
The news that EA Sports FC has lost the licenses for the two clubs’ names was confirmed by the game’s VP of Brand, David Jackson, in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport.
This means that in EA Sports FC 25, AC Milan and Inter will have different names, logos, and kits, to avoid infringement on the clubs’ agreements with rival publisher Konami.
The two clubs’ iconic stadium, San Siro, which is Italy’s largest, won’t be in the upcoming game either.
The Milan-based powerhouses are two of Italy’s top clubs, and the best-performing Italian teams in UEFA Champions League’s history.
Even though the two teams will not be present in EA FC 25 in an authentic way, all their players will be in the game.
The rights over using the names and likeness of players are governed by an agreement that EA Sports has with footballers’ union FIFPro.
There’s other good news for Serie A fans, too – two other Italian clubs are making a comeback in EA Sports FC 25.
After being absent from the series for several years, SSC Napoli and AS Roma are returning with multi-year licensing deals announced last week.
Napoli was first removed from FIFA 23, and Roma hasn’t been in the game series since FIFA 21.
For more on the changes coming with the next EA FC entry, check out our EA Sports FC 25 hands-on preview.
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