Dropping the homegrown FIFA name was a huge threat to Electronic Arts’ popular soccer games, especially after Konami unsuccessfully ported Pro Evolution Soccer to eFootball.
EA FC 24 seemed to get the rebrand off to a good start, with modes like Ultimate Team and Club being key to its early success, with the generally high hype surrounding the game. But in reality it can’t be…
EA FC 24 reportedly sees a 30% drop in UK physical sales.
According to Christopher Dring, respected journalist and head of GamesIndustry.biz, EA FC 24 has seen a 30% drop in UK physical sales. While compared to last year’s FIFA 23.
During said Nintendo Switch sales are up, though, which proves that efforts to improve the handheld game are paying off.
There has been a lot of reluctance for players to buy EA FC 24 this year, with free-to-play rivals and some misguided fans pushing back against the introduction of female footballers in the flagship Ultimate Team mode.
Are Declining Physical Sales Concerns For EA FC 24?
It’s worth bearing in mind that EA FC 24 has been pushing digitized versions of the game in recent years, with EA Play offering discounts and free trials.
Dring also claims that EA was expecting physical sales of EA FC 24 to still be second in the industry for 2023, however, only The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom beat it, even. That would destroy the Hogwarts legacy.
With a few weeks to push EA FC 24 into Christmas stockings, and time for parents to figure out the rebrand, the drop in physical sales might not be too telling.