FIFA series passes 260 million copies sold

It might have seen one of its biggest names announce that he’s leaving the company, analysts might have Battlefield V down to be underperforming in the pre-order market, and the game’s delay might have knocked significant value off the publisher, but EA does have one definite positive going for it: the FIFA series has sold over 260 million copies worldwide. That’s a lot of balls.

In a statement, EA Sports FIFA executive producer Aaron McHardy said: “For millions of players around the world the FIFA franchise has become more than just a game – it’s as big a part of their football DNA as the teams they love. Football is a sport that can unite the world through play, and whether it be through console, mobile, competitive gaming, or regional experiences like FIFA Online 4 in Asia, we are excited to find more and more ways to connect players to the world’s game.”

This comes just before EA Sports’ annual release of the new game, with this year’s FIFA 19 – releasing September 28 – sporting all new elements like haircuts and more intense licensing. In the past few years, each game has sold tens of millions of copies, meaning we’re likely to hit at least 275 million sold by this time next year.

FIFA 18 continues to perform well for EA, and this year’s World Cup contributed to a renewed interest in the title over the summer, with 15 million unique individuals playing the DLC add-on. These days of course it’s not just the hard sales figure that makes the difference – it’s the in-game, additional sales in the likes of FIFA Ultimate Team.

As long as people keep buying those player packs, FIFA is going to be one of the cornerstones of the EA Sports branch.