EA FC 24 devs admit “nerves” over FIFA rebrand & confusing players

EA FC 24 has enjoyed a successful launch, with millions of football fans dropping into the new game. However, the devs behind the title have admitted that “confusing” the community after the FIFA rebrand was a concern while working on the project.

EA FC 24 has been well-received so far, with many fans praising the fresh features included in the game. Evolutions have brought an interesting new layer to Ultimate Team, while Tactal Visions and coaching staff added extra depth to Career Mode.

However, there was a time before launch when the future success of the series was being called into question. The end of the deal between EA SPORTS and FIFA, which led to a full rebrand of the franchise going forward, left many wondering about the fate of many of their favorite modes.

Although EA FC 24 seems to have survived the name change in the eyes of most players, the game’s Executive Producer, John Shepherd, has opened up about some of the fears among the team while it was in development.

In an interview with Dexerto, Shepherd explained that striking a balance between keeping things relatively familiar while still innovating was very much on the team’s mind.

He said: “We had two key things we were always thinking about. We want to signal that change for the future and show some of that energy and passion we feel as a team. At the same time, we want players to know that the gameplay, the depth, all the modes, and all the experiences are going to be there.

“There was a bit of a counterbalance between signaling the change and delivering the experience we knew our players loved.”

Shepherd went on to add that they resisted the urge to completely rewrite the formula with EA FC 24, in the hopes that players would be able to see that the game they had been playing for three decades is still here despite the rebrand.

“A bad thing could be, we just totally change everything just to change stuff and then it’s not clear that it still has the same fundamentals,” he continued.

In the same interview, Shepherd admitted that the devs were a little anxious at the prospect of changing a name that had become so well-known among gamers.

“When we think about a name change and what that means, and the confusion it could create for players, that’s been a really key focus. [It’s about] making it very clear this is the game that players have loved for the last 30 years,” the EA dev added. “It’s been very top of mind. There was definitely a little bit of nerves as we first started thinking about it, but then just this growing sense of excitement.”

So far, the decision to keep the gameplay similar seems to have paid off in EA FC 24. However, we’ll have to wait and see if the devs decide to make more major changes in future installments.

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