You may be able to play as an old lady in Ubisoft's upcoming Watch Dogs game, but you certainly won't be able to play as The Old Lady in FIFA 20.
FIFA fans were disappointed to hear Tuesday that Juventus would not be a playable team in FIFA 20. The Turin club has signed an exclusive rights deal with Konami, meaning that the team's name, crest, stadium and jerseys will only be used in the Pro Evolution Soccer games for the foreseeable future.
We are delighted to reveal our brand new EXCLUSIVE Partnership with #eFootballPES2020 and @officialpes!
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— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) July 16, 2019
It was also announced that Juventus midfielder Miralem Pjanic will be an official ambassador for the game.
It's always a good time to welcome someone to the #PESFamily.
Welcome, Pjanic! #JUVxPES pic.twitter.com/2kXZIaxNWM
— Pro Evolution Soccer (@officialpes) July 16, 2019
This is a huge blow for EA, as Juventus is one of the largest clubs in the world and has grown even more popular since Cristiano Ronaldo joined last year.
Is Juventus In FIFA 20?
Fortunately, the Juventus squad will still be in the game, just under the name “Piemonte Calcio.” The name is fitting, as “Piemonte” is the region that Turin, the city that hosts Juventus, is located in, while “Calcio” is Italian for “football.”
Juventus to be Piemonte Calcio on FIFA 20 after PES 2020 snap up rights, confirm EA Sports https://t.co/OkLFnx7nRE #FOOTBALL pic.twitter.com/QI4wxJiFZo
— Footy News Media (@FootyNewsMedia) July 16, 2019
The crest, stadium and jerseys will all be designed by EA Sports, but the actual Juventus players’ names and likenesses will be in the game, as the players all have deals with EA that are independent of Konami’s new deal with Juventus. Time will tell whether this deal will impact FIFA sales, but the fact that EA’s stock dropped 3.28 percent Tuesday after the news broke isn’t exactly promising.
While it's certainly sad to see FIFA lose a big team like Juventus, this will hopefully serve as a wakeup call for EA and motivate the publisher to make more significant improvements in gameplay instead of leaning on its superior licensing to guarantee sales. Regardless, this news will certainly make choosing between FIFA 20 and PES 2020 that much harder.
