Electronic Arts's post-FIFA game launches; shares rise
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Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:EA) rose 0.9% on Friday as it launched EA Sports FC 24, its first soccer game since breaking up with FIFA after nearly 30 years.
The FIFA game helped EA reach a record first quarter with net bookings of $1.6B, up 21% year-over-year. The partnership reportedly ended as FIFA doubled its licensing fee to $150M. 
EA Sports FC was launched in June, with executives on the August 1st earnings call saying it went "incredibly well and was nearly double the positive performance of the launch versus FIFA 23, which in and of itself had achieved some records in terms of its launch awareness and its launch access."
EA is betting that FC 24 will successfully replace FIFA. Video game publishers have struggled with increased competition along with slowing spending by gamers amid high inflation and tough macroeconomic conditions. 
The FC 24 game is available for PlayStation, Xbox, PC, PlayStation, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. 
The Guardian said the new game is pretty much the same as the new game.
"When you start playing, all your suspicions are confirmed: this is FIFA 24, minus one teeny-weeny multimillion dollar license," reviewer Keith Stuart wrote in his September 28 review. 
Shares of EA are down 2% year-to-date.

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