Electronic Arts (EA) has pulled all its FIFA games from digital stores, including Steam and console stores, coinciding with the release of EA Sports FC 24, Engadget reports.

Despite this, some games in the popular football series remain available through EA Play, EA’s subscription service. In addition, physical copies of the withdrawn games can still be found for consoles, and those who previously purchased a FIFA game in digital format can re-download it.

However, for those who have not yet purchased FIFA 23 or its predecessors on platforms such as Steam, it will no longer be possible to buy the game. The message on the FIFA 23 Steam page reads: “At the request of the publisher, EA Sports FIFA 23 has been removed from the Steam store and will not appear in searches.”

The exact reason for EA’s decision to withdraw these games from sale remains unclear. It may be related to licensing issues. Last year, EA and FIFA did not reach an agreement on extending the licensing partnership for the famous series of football simulators. As a result, EA has rebranded the new football simulator as EA Sports FC, with the official release of its first part scheduled for September 29, although early access was available last week.

Despite the rebranding, it is expected that the FIFA name will continue to appear in future games, but most likely not in those developed by EA. FIFA President Gianni Infantino said last year: “I can assure you that the only authentic, real FIFA game will be the best available for gamers and football fans.”