By Gary Symons
TLL Editor in Chief
Electronic Arts is celebrating the release of two of its blockbuster games, EA Sports FC and EA Sports NHL.
EA has become known over the years as the top designer of sports-related games, covering the gamut from auto racing to American football, but globally, it’s EA Sports FC that has become the company’s top sports franchise.
For many years, EA Sports’s football game was released under license with the international football association FIFA, but that relationship ended last year as FIFA wanted more control over its own video gaming future.
However, it appears Electronic Arts’ ‘amicable’ divorce with FIFA hasn’t hurt its popular football (soccer) gaming franchise, and in fact, may have given the newly branded EA Sports FC a boost.
Electronic Arts responded to the crisis by inking deals individually with national and regional football leagues and with the top teams and players around the world, which also allowed the company to better localize the game for fans.
This week, EA Sports says the data shows the strategy was a success as it shared the data on its fan engagement across its EA SPORTS FC ecosystem.
In the first week after the release of EA SPORTS FC 24, 11.3 million players worldwide, including through EA Play, hit the pitch, while EA SPORTS FC Mobile, the company’s most immersive mobile football game yet, broke EA SPORTS Mobile Football franchise records with 2.2 million people installing the application on the first day.
In the 10 days since launch, a total of more than 11.2 million new users have downloaded the mobile game.
“We’re thrilled to have so many fans jumping into The World’s Game in both EA SPORTS FC 24 and FC Mobile in just the first few days since launch,” said Cam Weber, President of EA SPORTS. “In addition to welcoming back millions of our longtime players, new players in FC 24 are up nearly 20% year over year, showing the excitement of football fans everywhere to join the Club.
“We are building the world’s biggest football community through EA SPORTS FC, and we’re just getting started.”
For this all-important launch of the post-FIFA game EA SPORTS FC 24, Electronic Arts is also attracting more fans by allowing them to become an FC Founder.
Those who log in and play by Nov. 1 can unlock exclusive benefits including in-game vanity, and objectives and tasks in Ultimate Team, including a Founder Evolution experience. As a one-time offer, fans can be there at the beginning of a new era for EA SPORTS FC and claim their title as an FC Founder to join the club with style.
Founder status is permanent and brings a number of bonuses, including a badge that marks the player as a founder of the new game.
Users who log in to play EA SPORTS FC Mobile before Nov. 30 will also have the opportunity to score one coveted ambassador player from the Founders Pack:
- Real Madrid CF’s Vinícius Júnior
- Manchester City F.C.’s Erling Haaland
- Liverpool F.C.’s Virgil van Dijk
- Tottenham Hotspur F.C.’s Son Heung-min
- Real Madrid CF’s Jude Bellingham
- Liverpool FC’s Diogo Jota
- Manchester City F.C.’s Jack Grealish
- Juventus’ Federico Chiesa
- Chelsea F.C.’s Enzo Fernández
- Borussia Dortmund’s Youssoufa Moukoko
While EA SPORTS FC 24 has been a major focus for Electronic Arts this year, the company has also been working hard at improving its other sports-related games, as seen in the release this week of EA SPORTS NHL 24.
The new hockey game is powered by EA’s all new Exhaust game engine, and introduces more features bringing the intensity of hockey to the screen. For example, the Exhaust Engine includes features like ‘Sustained Pressure’ and ‘Goalie Fatigue’ systems that affect how the virtual players react as they become fatigued during a long shift, or when a goalie faces intense pressure and multiple shots on net.
Return players to NHL 24 will definitely notice an improvement in the bone-crunching impact of heavy body checks, thanks to the revamped NHL 24 Physics-Based Contact mechanics.
“Hockey fans cherish the sport’s raw intensity. This year, with new features like the Exhaust Engine and Physics-Based Contact, we’re capturing that essence,” said Mike Inglehart, Creative Director at EA Vancouver. “NHL 24 allows players to feel the thrill of the sport, and we’re eager for fans to experience its gritty physicality.”
NHL 24 is produced under license with the National Hockey League, consisting of 32 teams, and the National Hockey League Players’ Association, a labor organization whose members are the players in the National Hockey League.
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