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'NHL 20' adds Snoop Dogg as a commentator and playable character
EA has been letting loose a bit with NHL 20, having recently added the likes of Toronto Raptors' Kyle Lowery, Minnesota Vikings' Adam Thielen and Pittsburgh Steelers' Juju Smith-Schuster -- none of whom are pro hockey players. Another big name you might not immediately associate with the NHL has just joined the ranks: Snoop Dogg.
EA stops selling 'FIFA' currency in Belgium due to loot box law
When Belgium declared that loot boxes were illegal and amounted to gambling, EA didn't react well -- it not only defended the practice, it refused to honor the law and insisted its practice was legal. Authorities saw things differently, however, and EA is backing down. The publisher is halting sales of the FIFA series' in-game currency (FIFA Points) in the country by January 31st after "further discussions with the Belgian authorities." Footie fans can still use any points they have left after that moment, but they'll otherwise have to earn content the old-fashioned way.
EA removes Kareem Hunt from 'Madden 19' following assault
A football player's conduct is leading to consequences on both real and virtual football fields. EA is removing former Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt from Madden 19 after TMZ showed a video of Hunt kicking and shoving a woman in a Cleveland hotel in February. He'd been dropped from the Chiefs on November 30th, the same day the video went public.
'FIFA' eSports league eMLS expands to 22 teams
eMLS, the FIFA eSports league of Major League Soccer, is getting ready to expand. Following a successful inaugural season earlier this year, the league run in parternship with EA Sports will head into 2019 with three new squads. Atlanta United, D.C. United and FC Cincinnati will all have eSports clubs appearing in the next season. They will compete for the eMLS cup and will join in the new eMLS League Series events.
'FIFA 19' gets a UEFA eChampions League esports tournament
Earlier this year, EA scored a major coup by licensing the UEFA Champions League for FIFA 19 after the European soccer competition ended its partnership with Konami and PES. To no one's surprise, it's now giving the tournament the eSports treatment. The "eChampions League" will thus form another cog in the FIFA Global Series en route to the eWorld Cup 2019 next summer.
EA announces ‘FIFA 19’ PS4 esports tournament
If you're a FIFA 19 esports fan, then EA has some good news for you. Today, the company released details about a new competition exclusive to PlayStation 4 owners that begins this Saturday, October 6th. The competition will be a qualifier for a new tournament, the Continental Cup 2018 Presented by PlayStation, that will take place during Paris Games Week from October 26th through the 28th. Players will compete to secure one of 31 spots.
'FIFA 19' has everything it needs to be the best
I've always tried to love FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer equally, though there are years when one franchise wins me over the other -- even if it's by a tiny bit. You can always count on the game mechanics of Konami's PES to be a pleasure to play, but EA Sports' advantage with FIFA has been that it owns the official licenses to the biggest clubs and players. I don't know about you, but I'd rather play with Manchester United than Man Red. This year, the most important change to FIFA 19 is the addition of the UEFA Champions League, Europe's premier club competition, which had featured on PES since 2008. EA Sports didn't need the Champions League to make FIFA great, but it was basically the only thing it was missing. And now, at the expense of PES, it's finally here.
EA donates $1 million to support victims of the shooting in Jacksonville
As a part of its ongoing response to the shooting at a Madden Classic esports event on Sunday, EA has established a fund to support victims of the incident, including the families of Taylor Robertson and Elijah Clayton, the two competitors who were killed. The company kicked in $1 million and said it is "working" to set up a fund where others can contribute. While news on that should be available soon, it set a date for a Jacksonville Tribute Livestream on September 6th, citing those in the community that have asked for a way to provide support and "show that this horrific event will not define us, but only serve to make our community stronger."
EA cancels Madden Classic qualifier events after Jacksonville shooting
At a Madden Classic qualifying event Sunday in Jacksonville, FL, professional players Taylor "SpotMePlzzz" Robertson and Elijah "TrueBoy" Clayton were killed in a shooting after another participant opened fire with a handgun. Ten other people were injured by bullets and the shooter, identified as David Katz, shot and killed himself. Tonight Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson released a statement saying "We are committed to supporting Taylor and Elijah's families through this difficult time, and we send our deepest sympathies to their loved ones, to those injured yesterday, and everyone affected."
Alex Hunter joins Real Madrid in 'FIFA 19'
The Twitter account for the fictional FIFA character Alex Hunter teased yesterday that some news was on the way, and now we know what that is. EA Sports has announced that Hunter will play for Real Madrid in "The Journey" story mode of FIFA 19. "The Journey" was first introduced in FIFA 17 and Hunter's story will be wrapped up in FIFA 19's third and final installment of the story mode.
‘NBA Live 19’ will let you create female players
After including the WNBA roster for the first time in last year's game, EA Sports is going a step further in its embrace of female athletes in NBA Live 19 by bringing women to its create-a-player feature. EA says this marks the first time a basketball game has let players create female characters.
'FIFA 18' correctly predicted France's World Cup win
EA Sports has a pretty amazing record when it comes to predicting the outcome of major sporting events. The company used it's FIFA 18 game to correctly opine that Germany would win the 2014 World Cup, and has used the long-running Madden franchise to correctly guess the real winner of the Super Bowl nine out of thirteen times. Now EA wants you to know that it also correctly chose France as the winner of this year's World Cup.
RIP, 'Pro Evolution Soccer'
I have a mild obsession with FIFA video games, largely because I like playing with official teams and players rather than fictional ones. But, I always gave Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) a chance. Two years ago, I even wrote that Konami's title was actually better than EA Sports', much to the the disbelief of many of my football friends. A big reason I always kept coming back to PES (aside from its more realistic gameplay) was the fact it had licensing rights for the UEFA Champions League (UCL), Europe's most prestigious club tournament. Since 2008, FIFA players have had to make do with a generic version that EA Sports created, which simply wasn't good enough. You need that UCL orchestral theme song and the original trophy to make the competition feel real. But thing will be changing soon, and Pro Evolution Soccer is going to suffer as a result.
‘FIFA 19’ has a lot more to offer than just Champions League
In a matter of weeks, Europe's biggest annual soccer competition, the Champions League, went from one video game franchise to its bitter rival. When UEFA ended its partnership with Konami, an agreement that allowed Pro Evolution Soccer to offer the club tournament, it was only a matter of time before EA jumped on the chance to add the competition to its FIFA franchise. The addition of Champions League will undoubtedly give FIFA 19 more depth, especially in its "The Journey" story mode, but the updates to gameplay are equally as important.
‘FIFA 18’ let me live out my World Cup fantasies
It took a few tries, but I was finally able to lift the World Cup trophy with my beloved Mexico in FIFA 18. It wasn't an easy feat, either; I had to get past football superpower Germany in the final. But it happened, a 3-2 win! And that's probably the only way I'll ever get to see Mexico win soccer's most important competition. Over the past few days, I've spent most of my spare time playing FIFA's new Russia 2018 World Cup mode, which EA Sports made available free to all owners of the game on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. That gesture alone deserves a lot of credit, since during the last World Cup in 2014 the developer released a standalone game for the tournament that was $60. And that was just for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The latest-generation of consoles only got a disappointing, stripped down version.
'PES 2019' loses Borussia Dortmund ahead of launch
Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer series can't catch a break. It's been second fiddle to EA's FIFA series for years, and with news that another team has ended its licensing agreement with the underdog football franchise likely won't help matters any. Borussia Dortmund "prematurely" exited its licensing agreement with the game-maker ahead of its 2020 agreement, as spotted by Kotaku.
EA Sports picks the winner of this year's World Cup
Predictions are less of a science and more of an art, especially when it comes to high-pressure sporting events where anything can go. EA Sports, with one eye on an attention-grabbing headline, is hoping to prove its bona fides by saying that it has predicted which nation will win this year's World Cup.
The Russia World Cup comes to 'FIFA 18' on May 29th
As the domestic football season starts to wrap up, all eyes are turning to the World Cup in Russia. EA, unsurprisingly, wants to celebrate the competition with a video game tie-in — this year, however, it will be released as a free update for FIFA 18. That's in stark contrast to 2014, when EA released a dedicated game for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and a meagre Ultimate Team expansion for the PS4 and Xbox One. (Euro 2016, meanwhile, was owned by Konami and released as a free PES update.)
NHL's first eSports tournament begins March 24th
Multiple pro sports leagues have already welcomed eSports with open arms, but what about the NHL? Where's the official hockey tournament? Don't worry, it's almost here. The league is launching the NHL Gaming World Championship, a global tourney that pits players against each other in the PS4 and Xbox One versions of EA's NHL 18. Register and you can compete in qualifiers that start March 24th, with the top eight players from each region competing in-person at events throughout May. The championship proper takes place at Esports Arena Las Vegas on June 19th, and the winner will take home "their share" of $100,000.
Major League Soccer is creating its own FIFA eSports league
There's a new eSports organization in town. In partnership with EA Sports, Major League Soccer is launching eMLS -- an eSports league in which 19 of the 23 MLS clubs will select a competitor to represent them. Those gamers will compete in the eMLS Cup, which will take place during PAX East in April, and the winner will then go on to the FIFA 18 Global Series and have a chance to play in the FIFA eWorld Cup.
