A new report has asserted that Electronic Arts could opt to cancel its popular College Football video game series in the future. Following the launch of NCAA Football 14 in 2013, EA Sports ended its run of making college football games due to issues that had arisen with real-world players and their likenesses. With the introduction of NIL deals to college sports, however, this paved the way for EA Sports to revive the franchise in 2024 with College Football 25. And while this revitalization of the football series has continued to be a hit with two successive follow-ups, those within EA are said to now be concerned about its long-term viability.
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According to Insider Gaming, multiple sources have said that they’re worried the College Football series could end up being scrapped at some point in the next five years. While future installments are said to still be planned in 2027, 2028, and potentially 2029, further down the road, there is growing fear at EA Sports that the franchise may once again be put on ice.
As for the reason behind these fears, it seems to be tied to two major aspects. For starters, sales of the College Football series have naturally started to fall off with each new entry. While College Football 25 was a monumental commercial success when it arrived, College Football 27 hasn’t come close to reaching the same heights. Although the game still sells quite well, especially when compared to other AAA titles, it’s reported that the cost of development has started to increase each year. Some of this cost is specifically tied to the money paid out to real-world collegiate football players to use their likeness and name, with EA reportedly paying close to $20 million in total this year, which is more than double what it was in 2024.
The other growing worry is then tied to monetization within the College Football games. Like with every other sports game from EA, the publisher wants to add in-game purchases within the various modes of the CFB titles to get even more money out of players. While these monetization aspects of other franchises like FC and Madden have become standardized, EA Sports has struggled to find a way to monetize the College Football games in the same way without upsetting fans.
While it remains to be seen what EA ultimately does, the company’s recent buyout from Saudi Arabia and other partners could play a part in what happens to the College Football series. If those in charge don’t see the franchise as having a viable path forward from a monetary aspect, it could be canned once again. Doing so wouldn’t only be a brutal blow to fans who waited over a decade to have college football games return, but it could mark the end of any video games tied to collegiate sports for the long haul.
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