Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
EA Sports College Football 25, Among Most Anticipated Sports Video Games in History, Hits the Market
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 11 months ago on
July 19, 2024

This combo of images provided by EA Sports, shows the video game covers for the new standard edition College Football 25, left, and Deluxe Edition College Football 25, featuring Texas' Quinn Ewers, Colorado's Travis Hunter, and Michigan's Donovan Edwards. (AP/EA Sports)

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

EA Sports College Football 25, among the most highly anticipated sports video games of all time, has flooded the market as gamers who waited more than a decade for the franchise’s next installment rush to play.

The game officially launched Friday, with EA Sports increasing its server capacity ahead of time to handle the crush. More than 2.2 million people had already played the game before launch during an early-access period.

“To say we’ve been blown away by the excitement, energy and anticipation around College Football 25 over the past few months would be an understatement,” EA Sports said in a blog post this week. “Just like you, our team has had July 19 circled for months as the culmination of so much work and dedication to build this game, and the chance to see it in players’ hands for the first time.”

Franchise Frozen in 2013 Due to Athlete Compensation Rights

EA Sports’ college football games used to be released annually, a cultural icon in American sports for much of the franchise’s existence. The company froze future editions in 2013 when athletes began questioning why they weren’t getting paid to be featured in the games.

With athlete compensation rights sorted out in court and now allowed by the NCAA, EA Sports announced in 2021 it would revive the franchise. The video-game developer offered Bowl Subdivision players a minimum of $600 and a copy of the game to have their likeness included in it. More than 11,000 players accepted offers.

EA Sports has said its goal for the game was “to feel like a love letter to college football and its fans.”

Athletes, Comedians Live-Stream Head-to-Head Matches

UCLA, Mississippi State, San Diego State and Colorado were among the schools hosting College Football 25 events this week. Across social platforms, athletes such as LeBron James, Tim Tebow and Michael Vick — even comedians Shane Gillis and Dan Soder — were live-streaming head-to-head matches in the game.

Michigan running back Donovan Edwards, one of the cover athletes, said in May some of the best moments of his childhood involved playing EA Sports college football with his best friend.

“Just for it to be back, as well as to be on the cover of it, it’s an awesome feeling,” he said.

The game’s other standard-edition cover athletes are Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and Colorado two-way player Travis Hunter. The deluxe edition features the backs of numerous players in a stadium tunnel, including Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe, Georgia quarterback Carson Beck, and Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins.

EA Sports’ college football franchise dates to the 1990s. It grew in popularity in the early 2000s as gaming systems became more advanced, allowing for revolutionary game modes such as the popular Race for the Heisman create-a-player that was introduced in NCAA Football 06.

That edition also featured historic teams, including the 1992 Alabama squad that Clemson coach Dabo Swinney played on.

“Sleeping on me a little bit,” Swinney joked about the 70 overall rating for his player, “WR No. 88,” which did, however, have a 91 speed rating. “They must have my going down the hill speed. I appreciate the love they gave me on that.”

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Authorities Seek Help Finding Relatives of Deceased Fresno Man

DON'T MISS

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Felecia Johnson

DON'T MISS

How in the World Did Fresno End Up on Trump’s Sanctuary Cities List?

DON'T MISS

X Marks the Spot: Bruised Musk Says His Young Son Punched Him

DON'T MISS

PBS Suing Trump Administration Over Defunding, Three Days After NPR Filed Similar Case

DON'T MISS

Loretta Swit, Emmy-winner Who Played Houlihan on Pioneering TV Series ‘M.A.S.H.,’ Has Died at 87

DON'T MISS

San Francisco 49ers Acquire Eagles Edge Rusher Bryce Huff, AP Source Says

DON'T MISS

California Lawmaker Won’t Be Charged After Citation for Suspicion of Impaired Driving

DON'T MISS

California School Awards Dinner at Disneyland Comes With Hefty Price Tag

DON'T MISS

Fresno Police Release Video of Officer-Involved Shooting

UP NEXT

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Felecia Johnson

UP NEXT

How in the World Did Fresno End Up on Trump’s Sanctuary Cities List?

UP NEXT

X Marks the Spot: Bruised Musk Says His Young Son Punched Him

UP NEXT

PBS Suing Trump Administration Over Defunding, Three Days After NPR Filed Similar Case

UP NEXT

Loretta Swit, Emmy-winner Who Played Houlihan on Pioneering TV Series ‘M.A.S.H.,’ Has Died at 87

UP NEXT

San Francisco 49ers Acquire Eagles Edge Rusher Bryce Huff, AP Source Says

UP NEXT

California Lawmaker Won’t Be Charged After Citation for Suspicion of Impaired Driving

UP NEXT

California School Awards Dinner at Disneyland Comes With Hefty Price Tag

UP NEXT

Fresno Police Release Video of Officer-Involved Shooting

UP NEXT

Hamas Says It Is Still Reviewing a US Proposal for a Gaza Ceasefire

X Marks the Spot: Bruised Musk Says His Young Son Punched Him

7 hours ago

PBS Suing Trump Administration Over Defunding, Three Days After NPR Filed Similar Case

8 hours ago

Loretta Swit, Emmy-winner Who Played Houlihan on Pioneering TV Series ‘M.A.S.H.,’ Has Died at 87

9 hours ago

San Francisco 49ers Acquire Eagles Edge Rusher Bryce Huff, AP Source Says

9 hours ago

California Lawmaker Won’t Be Charged After Citation for Suspicion of Impaired Driving

9 hours ago

California School Awards Dinner at Disneyland Comes With Hefty Price Tag

11 hours ago

Fresno Police Release Video of Officer-Involved Shooting

11 hours ago

Hamas Says It Is Still Reviewing a US Proposal for a Gaza Ceasefire

11 hours ago

1 in 4 US Children Have Parents With Substance Use Disorder, Study Finds

11 hours ago

Oreo Maker Mondelez Sues Aldi, Alleging Grocery Chain Copies Its Packaging to Confuse Customers

11 hours ago

Authorities Seek Help Finding Relatives of Deceased Fresno Man

The Fresno County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office is asking for the public’s help in locating family members of a Fresno man who died last month. F...

6 hours ago

The Fresno County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office is seeking the public’s help to locate the family of Felipe Pech, 68, of Fresno, who died on April 23, 2025. (Fresno County SO)
6 hours ago

Authorities Seek Help Finding Relatives of Deceased Fresno Man

Felecia Johnson is Valley Crime Stoppers' Most Wanted Person of the Day for May 30, 2025. (Valley Crimes Stoppers)
7 hours ago

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Felecia Johnson

7 hours ago

How in the World Did Fresno End Up on Trump’s Sanctuary Cities List?

7 hours ago

X Marks the Spot: Bruised Musk Says His Young Son Punched Him

8 hours ago

PBS Suing Trump Administration Over Defunding, Three Days After NPR Filed Similar Case

9 hours ago

Loretta Swit, Emmy-winner Who Played Houlihan on Pioneering TV Series ‘M.A.S.H.,’ Has Died at 87

9 hours ago

San Francisco 49ers Acquire Eagles Edge Rusher Bryce Huff, AP Source Says

9 hours ago

California Lawmaker Won’t Be Charged After Citation for Suspicion of Impaired Driving

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend