EA has filed a new trademark application within the UK and European Union that suggests that FIFA 23 may be renamed to EA Sports FC, which would bring it in line to similar renaming for other EA Sports titles in recent years, as well as dropping the expensive and 'unique' licensing agreement in place with FIFA, the international governing body of football.

The trademark filing also follows a statement from the company that stated it was reviewing the naming rights with FIFA, something that it considers to be an exception within its EA Sports franchise. In a press release for FIFA 22, General Manager Cam Weber stated that "as we look ahead, we’re also exploring the idea of renaming our global EA Sports football games. This means we’re reviewing our naming rights agreement with FIFA, which is separate from all our other official partnerships and licenses across the football world.” 

It's also worth noting that EA's existing deal with FIFA, which was signed back in 2013, expires next year, which further suggests a rename could be on the way. Calling the possibility out publicly could either be the first sign of their intention, or could be a negotiation tactic in the renewal of the license, but it seems a distinct possibility at this stage.

The change wouldn't mean the removal of UEFA, Premier League, or Serie A branding or teams from the games though, as these are separate licenses from the FIFA contract and naming, so they could quite easily drop the name without affecting the game itself. 

We'll be sure to keep an eye on this situation and report any further news as we learn it.