EA’s FIFA Games May Be Gone, But Rematch Could Fill the Void

Sure thing! Here’s a reimagined version of the article, unfiltered and a bit scattered:

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So, somewhere around ’93—yep, that’s almost three decades back—EA, you know, that big video game company, teamed up with FIFA. What happened? They cooked up a soccer (or football if you’re fancy) game for the Sega Genesis called FIFA International Soccer. And dude, it sold like hotcakes! Like, over half a million copies in just a month or so. Crazy, right? EA figured it would do well because, hello, FIFA branding, but it smashed even their wildest expectations.

FIFA International Soccer—yeah, that mouthful of a title—kicked off what would morph into the FIFA video game dynasty. I mean, it totally overshadowed all its wannabe rivals. Seriously, as of 2021, they’d sold over 325 million of these babies. Mind-blowing. But then, plot twist! In 2022, EA and FIFA, the dynamic duo, parted ways. EA decided, “Nah, we’re not using the FIFA name anymore.” So yeah, that’s that. The series? Poof. But, not all doom and gloom—the FIFA name might still pop up somewhere else, like in this game Rematch by Sloclap. Yeah, random name, I know.

And speaking of Rematch, it’s like one of those few gems that’s not tied to EA, yet it’s still killing it out there. Flashback to the Sega times, soccer games were everywhere. But now? They’re rare finds. Other than Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer—which isn’t living its best life with eFootball, by the way—there’s not much else. Enter Rematch, Sloclap’s funky creation. Imagine a bunch of 5v5 matches with a third-person view, colorful visuals—it’s like if soccer had a party and invited Absolver and Sifu, Sloclap’s martial arts-themed babies. Released not too long ago, and bam—3 million players by late June 2025. Magic? Maybe. Or Xbox Game Pass being a secret MVP since you get to play without buying it.

Anyway—oops, lost my train of thought—Sloclap could totally get cozy with FIFA. Picture this: Rematch with FIFA-themed gear. Just last week, they added some Puma stuff and this skin modeled after Marc-André ter Stegen. Sounds fancy, huh? Might sound silly, but putting a FIFA logo on a Rematch costume? Could sell like crazy. EA’s FIFA franchise ruled because of its branding, especially in Europe where football is more than a religion. If there’s no new FIFA game on the horizon, a Rematch x FIFA crossover could just be what fans need.

Totally went on a tangent there, but sports games, man—they’re still a wild ride.

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