NCAA fans could hardly wait to get their hands on EA Sports College Football 25, with millions forking over more money to play the highly-anticipated video game several days before its official release.
Priced at $99.99, the Deluxe Edition of College Football 25 provided PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S users access to the game on July 16, instead of having to wait until July 19. According to EA Sports, a total of 2.2 million unique gamers played during the early access period, with an additional 600,000 joining in on the fun via the EA Play trial.
By charging $30 more for the Deluxe Edition compared to the $69.99 regular version of College Football 25, EA Sports made roughly $66 million in three days from just the add-on fee.
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“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 wrote in a blog post earlier 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.”
Daryl Holt - SVP and Group GM of EA Sports - expressed a similar sentiment, stating: "From the moment we decided to make EA SPORTS College Football 25, the passionate college football fans out there were our team's north star.
"This game is for the fans, and the response we've seen from across the collegiate landscape, athletes, creators, celebrities, and the core community has been nothing short of spectacular."
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EA Sports used to release college football games annually, but announced it’d be discontinuing the franchise in 2013 after a court ruling required the developer to pay student athletes who weren’t compensated for previously appearing in the game.
The beloved video game series received a new lease on life in 2021, however, after the NCAA lifted its regulations on athletic-related benefits, thereby allowing college athletes to profit off their Name, Image and Likeness. EA Sports promptly capitalized on the watershed revision, announcing that its College Football product would return in the near future.
Per the Associated Press , EA Sports offered Bowl Subdivision players upwards of $600 as well as a copy of College Football 25 in exchange for allowing their likeness to be featured in the game. Over 11,000 student athletes reportedly agreed to the deal.
“It’s exciting for me, my teammates, and my friends from other schools to be in the game and get paid,” Washington defensive back Dyson McCutcheon said in a press release. “I’ve been playing this game all week. I know lot of people before me fought for this and I’m grateful.”
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