As it stands,EAcurrently owns the vast majority of the annual sports titles players purchase every year, having access toFIFA, Madden, NBA Live,and many more. They’re easily one of the company’s biggest moneymakers during the holiday season, with each franchise shipping thousands of units regardless of the reception it gets from critics and consumers.
Two of the biggest names on its sports lineup are NHLand UFC,and from the looks of things, it doesn’t seem like EA’s relationship with either the hockey or mixed martial arts brand is set to change anytime soon. Announced through two subsequent press releases,EAhas signed multi-year deals with both major sports promotions, promising to continue developing titles in its long-runningEA SportsUFCandNHLvideo game franchises.
RELATED:Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against EA Over Ultimate Team Loot Boxes
Speaking on the UFC, EA’s statement claims “the world is playing and watching moreEA SPORTS UFCthan ever before as MMA fandom continues to grow,” citing that the debut of the recently releasedUFC 4saw a spike of “75 percent more players thanEA SPORTS UFC 3.“EA goes on to claim it wants to continue its over 10-year relationship with the seminal MMA brand, extending its relationship in a multi-year new deal. EA’s statement alone seems to confirm thatUFC 4,which launched back in August, was a huge success for the company, bringing in an influx of new players.
As forNHL,the company celebrates the success of the recently releasedNHL 21,while also claiming that “the new agreement will allow EA Sports to accelerate authentic and innovative hockey simulation experiences.” It seemsNHL 21was also a huge success for EA, with the statement revealing that the game had the most active daily players at launch that the franchise has seen in three years.NHLhas been in the EA stable for quite some time now, with the two brands working together since the early 90s. It seems the deal will see them continue to develop games together for the foreseeable future.
While EA is likely happy to continue expanding on its relationship with both promotions, each franchise has seen the company hit with major backlash over recent months. Back in September,The Boysduring matches. EA quickly apologized and removed the ads, claiming that the feature would not return in the future. Meanwhile, the company’s use of card packs has got them into some substantial legal trouble recently, with a lawsuit in Canada deeming the loot packs as illegal gambling. Regardless, it seems fans can expect several new entries in theUFCandNHLfranchises in the years to come.
