Why is there no more FIFA Street?
As an avid FIFA gamer who sank countless hours into FIFA Street back in its heyday, I‘ve always wondered why EA abruptly discontinued such a bold and creative football spinoff series. In this article, I‘ll analyze the real reasons FIFA Street seems to have been relegated to gaming‘s back-alleys for good.
The bottom line is FIFA Street was scrapped due to declining niche popularity, gameplay innovation stagnation, and EA prioritizing resources into core FIFA titles.
Let‘s break down these factors in more detail:
Niche Popularity Plummeted
FIFA Street undoubtedly attracted a cult following early on. The novelty of flashy tricks and street football‘s raw authenticity made it an underground hit.
However, over successive installments, interest dropped off:
- FIFA Street (2012 reboot) sold 1.4 million copies – a major drop off from 2.4 million sales of FIFA Street 3
- Google Trends data indicates search volume for "FIFA Street" is only 8% as high now compared to 2004 peak
Although EA does not release revenue figures, it is reasonable to deduce from available sales data that FIFA Street‘s popularity had diminished substantially – especially relative to the soaring mainstream success of regular FIFA games:
| Year | FIFA Sales | FIFA Street Sales* |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 10.3 million FIFA 23 | Discontinued |
| 2018 | 24 million copies FIFA 19 total | |
| 2015 | 3.2 million in first week FIFA 16 | |
| 2012 | 13 million copies FIFA 13 total | 1.4 million FIFA Street reboot |
| 2008 | 14.2 milion copies FIFA 09 total* | 2.4 million FIFA Street 3 |
^* VG Sales Wiki estimate
As the data shows, core FIFA was a commercial juggernaut, while interest in its alternative street format crashed. For EA‘s bottom line, continuing to commit resources to this shrinking niche made diminishing economic sense.
The Street Cred Ran Dry
During FIFA Street‘s prime, each new entry creatively expanded the zany gameplay:
- FIFA Street (2005) – Introduced game-changing Gamebreakers and elaborately humiliating moves
- FIFA Street 2 (2006) – Added signature style "Rule the Streets" mechanic and acrobatic wall passes
- FIFA Street 3 (2008) – Fresh Futsal-inspired indoor court and new skill juggle system
But by 2012 and the unimaginatively named reboot, gameplay innovation clearly stagnated. Reviewers slammed its tired formula, with IGN commenting "juggling returns with a simple meter system devoid of innovation or surprise".
Without revolutionary new ideas to revitalize street football, the series grew critically and commercially stale. EA had seemingly exhausted avenues for breathing longevity into the spinoff concept.
EA Picks Its Main Street
With FIFA as EA‘s perennial top-seller, it was apparent where its priorities lay – laser focused on maximizing profits from its golden goose franchise.
Resources previously funneled into FIFA Street were redirected at augmenting annual FIFA releases and Ultimate Team growth:
- FIFA games generate over a billion dollars annually for EA
- FIFA Ultimate Team mode alone makes 1.49 billion
With ballooning revenues tied to its core FIFA franchise, EA‘s conviction in backing experimental spinoffs like FIFA Street melted away. Its Volta mode has not truly filled this void either, lacking FIFA Street‘s signature over-the-top arcade flair.
The beautiful game will always have space for alternatives to simulation-focused juggernauts. And for nostalgic gamers like myself, FIFA Street represents many youthful hours embracing the renegade roots of football joy. With EA currently soul-searching for its post-FIFA future, perhaps there‘s still hope of fresh street football life around the corner…
