EA Sports revealed that it has ended its partnership with Juventus Football Club. The partnership officially ends June 30, which means Juventus is no longer part of FIFA 20.
In other sports games this may have been a minor occurrence, but that isn't the case here. Fans of the game, and even the sport, know that this announcement is rather huge. Why you ask? Well Juventus has on its roster a certain player by the name of Cristiano Ronaldo. Yes, that Ronaldo.
What happened? Juventus appeared to have signed an exclusive deal with Pro Evolution Soccer 2020. This is not the first time that EA and PES have butted heads when it came to getting exclusive deals from football clubs. EA has been able to grab the license to almost every team and player. One notable absence was back in FIFA 99, when EA was unable to get Ronaldo (de Lima). PES has relied mainly on its gameplay instead of having to pay for expensive licenses. This marks the first time PES managed to get ahead of EA.
We are delighted to reveal our brand new EXCLUSIVE Partnership with #eFootballPES2020 and @officialpes!
— JuventusFC ???? (@juventusfcen) July 16, 2019
Create some magic moments with the stars of our team in the ONLY football video game you can this year ?#JUVxPES https://t.co/l4TZC41oEp pic.twitter.com/98UApa5iNg
However just as Juventus revealed its deal with PES, Liverpool Football Club announced it had entered into a long-term agreement with EA and FIFA 20.
We have teamed up with creator of the @EASPORTSFIFA game series, @EASPORTS, in a new long-term partnership. ⚽️?
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 16, 2019
Get ready to break new ground with the Reds in #FIFA20. ? #VOLTAFOOTBALL
So what happens now? In the past when PES failed to get Juventus, it came up with a team known as PM Black White. This time it's EA's turn. Instead of Juventus, FIFA 20 now has Piemonte Calcio which:
- Is a new playable team in FIFA 20 with a custom badge and kit throughout Kick-Off, Career Mode, and EA SPORTS VOLTA Football.
- Piemonte Calcio remains to be a playable team within Career Mode in FIFA 20, featuring authentic players and up-to-date player ratings.
- Uses real-world, authentic players in FIFA 20 and FIFA 20 Ultimate Team.
- What this means is that Piemonte Calcio players are not going to have any generic names or generic faces.
- It also means that the squad’s player ratings are going to be updated based off of their real-world performances.
- In addition, Piemonte Calcio players continue to be eligible for Special Items
- Has players' Chemistry within FIFA 20 Ultimate Team unaffected by the changes.
EA also said that these changes are not going to affect any of the previous FIFA titles. FIFA 20 is scheduled to be released this September.
