Nintendo has scored a big third-party partner for its new console.
Electronic Arts was onstage at Nintendo’s Switch event tonight reveal that it is bringing its soccer series FIFA to Switch. FIFA is the most popular sports franchise in gaming — selling more than 100 million copies worldwide — so this is a big third-party score for Nintendo.
It’s also a big deal for Nintendo to have EA’s support. EA is one of the biggest third-party publishers, and works on popular franchises like Madden, Battlefield, and Star Wars. This could be just the beginning of EA’s support for the Switch.
EA is making this new FIFA game specifically for the Switch, so it will not be a simple port of FIFA 17.
“Nintendo’s heritage is to always push forward, to dare to choose their own path, and now they are doing it again with the Nintendo Switch,” Patrick Söderlund, executive vice president of worldwide studios at EA, said in a press release sent to GamesBeat. “We’re excited to be partnered with them again, and to bring new experiences to players on this brand new platform.”