EA Sports loses another license to Konami. Inter Milan will be exclusively licensed in eFootball. Here's what it means for the Nerazzurri in EA Sports FC.
Sad news for all Inter Milan fans that are playing FIFA... well, EA Sports FC. The Italian champions of 2021 will no longer be part of EA's football game from 2024.
Konami has clinched an exclusive deal to include Inter Milan for the year 2024. The Nerazzurri are set to transition to eFootball (previously known as PES), making it the sole football game with the rights to use the original badge, kits, and club name of Inter Milan.
Inter e KONAMI di nuovo insieme: la societa leader nel gaming diventa Global Football Videogame Partner, Youth Development Centre Partner e Training Kit Back Partner del Club nerazzurro.
— Inter (@Inter) July 1, 2022
https://t.co/zZI6prRikS@play_efootball #IMPartner pic.twitter.com/MuK1BdmLSD
EA Sports FC: Inter Milan With Fake Name, Badge & Kits
While Inter Milan will remain a fully licensed club in EA FC 24, a significant change is coming. Starting in July 2024, the club will no longer be authentically represented in EA's game due to Konami's exclusive deal. This means that fans will encounter a fictional version of Inter Milan in EA FC 25. Similar to what happened with Juventus (renamed to Piemonte Calcio) in the past, or AS Roma (Roma FC), SSC Napoli (Napoli FC) and Lazio Roma (Latium) in FC 24.
This is another bitter loss for EA fans, especially considering EA's previous partnerships with Serie A, which added to the authenticity of the game. EA's apparent disinterest in maintaining the licenses of these top Italian clubs is disappointing for fans who value an authentic representation of the league.
Especially for career mode enthusiasts, the loss of such licenses will significantly diminish the gaming experience. No one wants to play in leagues where the top clubs are fakes.
At least there is a glimmer of hope: Inter players will still appear under their real names and with their real faces. Thanks to EA's deal with the FIFPro, the players will still be included as authentic as possible.