EA Sports FC Online (series)
Free-to-play online football series focused on Asia.
EA Sports FC Online, originally called FIFA Online, is a series of free-to-play online sports games from Electronic Arts (EA) that draw on the FIFA game franchise. The series is aimed mainly at the Asian gaming market. The first game in the series launched in May 2006.
The initial entry, EA Sports FIFA Online, was a joint project between EA and Neowiz. It entered open beta on May 25, 2006, and by June had reached 100,000 concurrent players. A sequel, EA Sports FIFA Online 2, also developed by EA and Neowiz, came out in Asia on October 1, 2007; VTC Game handled its release in Vietnam in 2008. A Western version of FIFA Online 2, simply called FIFA Online, was created by EA’s Singapore and Canada studios.
In July 2012, EA and NEXON announced a partnership for a third South Korean title, FIFA Online 3, which NEXON planned to release later that year. Tencent published it in China in 2013, and Garena did the same in Southeast Asia that year. A mobile version, FIFA Online 3 M, arrived for iOS and Android on May 29, 2014.
FIFA Online 4 entered open beta on May 17, 2018, and was released the same day. Following EA’s split from FIFA, the game was renamed EA Sports FC Online on September 22, 2023. A mobile sequel, FC Online M (formerly FIFA Online 4 M), came out in July 2018.
Quick Facts
- Title
- FC Online
- Publisher
- Electronic Arts, Neowiz, VTC Game, NEXON, Tencent, Garena
- Genre
- Sports
- First Release Version
- EA Sports FIFA Online
- First Release Date
- May 25, 2006
- Latest Release Version
- EA Sports FC Online
- Latest Release Date
- May 17, 2018
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The series began as EA Sports FIFA Online, developed in partnership between EA and Neowiz, entering open beta on May 25, 2006. By June 2006, it had 100,000 concurrent players. A sequel, EA Sports FIFA Online 2, was released in Asia on October 1, 2007, and published in Vietnam by VTC Game in 2008. A Western version of FIFA Online 2, simply titled FIFA Online, was developed by EA's EA Singapore and EA Canada studios. In July 2012, a partnership between EA and NEXON was announced for a third FIFA Online game in South Korea, released later that year. Tencent published the game in China in 2013, and Garena published it in Southeast Asia in the same year. A mobile version, FIFA Online 3 M, was released for iOS and Android on May 29, 2014. FIFA Online 4 entered open beta and was released on May 17, 2018. On September 22, 2023, the game was renamed EA Sports FC Online following the split between EA and FIFA. A sequel to the 2014 mobile version, FC Online M (formerly FIFA Online 4 M), was released in July 2018.
Reader's Guide
The EA Sports FC Online series is significant as a long-running free-to-play adaptation of the FIFA franchise, specifically tailored for the Asian market. Its history shows a pattern of regional partnerships, with Neowiz, NEXON, Tencent, Garena, and VTC Game each publishing entries in different Asian territories. The series demonstrated early success with 100,000 concurrent players shortly after its first open beta in 2006. The franchise expanded to mobile platforms with FIFA Online 3 M in 2014 and a sequel mobile version in July 2018. The rebranding to EA Sports FC Online in September 2023 marks a major shift following EA's split from FIFA, while maintaining the same game lineage. The series' legacy lies in its sustained focus on the Asian free-to-play market, its multiple regional publishers, and its transition from the FIFA branding to EA's own naming.
Did You Know?
- The first entry in the series was released in May 2006.
- EA Sports FIFA Online had 100,000 concurrent players by June 2006.
- FIFA Online 3 M, a mobile version, was released for iOS and Android on May 29, 2014.
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