As football fans are treated to spectacular games in Qatar 2022, punters have been trying their luck as they make predictions on different games. For the video game players who also happen to be betting enthusiasts, this is a season that they have waited for long. They have been looking forward to wager on their favorite players and teams and at the same time engage in FIFA World cup video game. 

However, one question that has been lingering among video game players is whether they will really have triple fun as some have come to refer to the experience. Firstly, where they get to enjoy their favorite team player, secondly, where wager on different games and lastly enjoying the video games. Just like they say in betting, there has been uncertainty. They are not sure whether there will be a FIFA World Cup video game in 2022. Updates that have been streaming on several World Cup betting sites as well as in the sports news channels indicate that the FIFA 23 World Cup video was released on 26th September 2022. This may be a big blow to punters who also engage in gaming. Although they still have a chance to place their bets, they will have lost a chance to play their favorite video games. 

Qatar timing 

The release of FIFA 23 happened months before the real world cup kicked off in Qatar. EA sports has been publishing the global biggest football event every year. It has also been its tradition to make bespoke titles with every major tournament.

The timing of Qatar 2022, which is happening at the end of the year instead of the usual mid-year, may have caused some confusion. And this perhaps may be one of the reasons why the FIFA World Cup video game fans are wondering whether there will be a release. Analysts have been raising the question of whether EA sports can release a new game given that they have only released FIFA 23 just a few months ago. Some have even wondered whether the fans will have the appetite.

FIFA 23

A few months before the kick-off of Qatar 2022, FIFA 23 was released. This is the 30th installment in the series, and as news had it, it was to be the final installment under the FIFA banner. The edition was released worldwide for PC, Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5, Nintendo, Xbox, and Google Stadia. Among the features in the release are:

• Cross-play which is available in FUT, division rivals
• Hyper Motion 2
• Technical dribbling
• World Cup game modes
• Three new icons
• Defending
• Goalkeeping

For those who have been following up on the release of the world cup mode, EA Sports announced that it has been available for three weeks now. It was availed well in advance; weeks ahead of the actual tournament. The update is free for all users and it is available on all platforms apart from Nintendo Switch. The world cup mode features all the participating teams but it also allows the users to add some of the teams that did not qualify for Qatar 2022. Such teams include Ukraine, Romania, Hungary, and Austria among others.

Last installment

Perhaps the news that has precipitated the question of whether there will be a FIFA Club World Cup video game in 2022 is the announcement that the EA Sports FIFA franchise will be coming to an end on 31st December 2022. The announcement was made in May but as the electronic sports analysts have pointed out, this does not mean the end of the video game. 

The current contract is set to expire after the Qatar World cup meaning that the World Cup 2026 Video game is uncertain. After the contract comes to an end, the game will be renamed EA Sports FC. There are fears in the video gaming fraternity that there might be far-reaching changes. However, assurance has been made that little about the game structure and gameplay will change after the separation of the two entities. With the termination of the deal, FIFA can now build its video game products.

What has caused the separation?

Reports indicate that there are a few reasons that led to the separation between the two parties. FIFA wanted to double the licensing fee in addition to getting a leeway to enter into partnerships with other game developers. 

This did not sit well with EA sports. The video game developers argued that they had spent hundreds of millions in building the product and it was unfair to bring in new developers. As pointed out by video gaming analysts the two sides had different visions. EA sports believed it can continue without the partnership but has not ruled out future partnerships.

One-year extension

Despite the news of separation, there are hopes that there will be one more FIFA World Cup video game. The two sides could not agree on several issues but they agreed to extend the partnership through the FIFA Women’s tournament. This will happen in July and August 2023.

Over the years, EA Sports has grown to be one of the best video game franchises. The company has to its name, more than $ 20 billion in sales alone not forgetting the valuable FUT game mode which is worth $ 1.2 billion annually.

EA Sports promises its users that nothing is changing apart from the name. They are even promising new future partnerships with FIFA. This allays the fear that video games will change with the separation of the two entities. Major leagues have announced that they will be sticking with EA Sports. Football Video game users will be the winners as FIFA has also announced that they are already developing new games. They are partnering with developers to expand the virtual reality and video gaming sphere by creating competitive products. With this development, the football video gaming space is in for a great experience.