It’s in the Game: College Football 25 Is Now the Biggest Selling Game of 2024
Last Updated on October 18, 2024
After a decade-plus on the sidelines, the return of College Football 25 from EA has proven a monumental hit, becoming one of the best-selling games of the year.
The game had been halted in 2013 due to legal issues relating to the use of players’ likenesses, but this was resolved after the NCAA’s name, image, and likeness policy was approved in 2021. The release of College Football 25 has very much taken the video game market by storm.
Within 48 hours of the release of the game, more than 700,000 players had logged in to play, and it is ahead of the likes of Helldivers 2, Elden Ring, and Dragon’s Dogma 2 on the list of the top games for 2024.
So eager were players to try out the game that a deluxe version of College Football 25, offering users access three days earlier than its official release, saw EA Sports rake in an incredible $66 million. The deluxe version set back customers $99.99, as opposed to the $69.99 for the regular version.
The love that Americans have for college sports is self-evident, and the re-birth of the College Football video game series is an illustration of this, as is the level of gambling that is associated with college sports. This is particularly evident when it comes to college basketball betting, which is very popular.
No other country on the planet devotes as much interest, money, and attention to its college sports systems as the United States, and in many ways, it was obvious that the return of the video game series was going to prove immensely popular.
On the game’s success, Circana Executive Director and Video Game Industry Advisor Mat Piscatella stated, “EA College Football 25 significantly exceeded my expectations, and they were high. It boosted hardware, software, and accessories sales last month.”
Interest in the game also extends to those within the college football system itself, not least because they get to play as themselves in the ultra-realistic video game. Washington Huskies DB Dyson McCutcheon is just one such individual who can’t get enough of College Football 25.
“It’s exciting for me, my teammates, and my friends from other schools to be in the game and get paid,” McCutcheon said. “I’ve been playing this game all week. I know a lot of people before me fought for this, and I’m grateful.”
In order to be able to restart the game franchise, EA Sports paid $600 or more to those included in the game, as well as a free copy of the game, with as many as 11,000 college athletes agreeing to the new deal.
It has taken a long time to get to this point. In 2021, the NCAA approved regulatory changes allowing their members to profit from the game, and only now are fans getting to reap the rewards. Obviously, the success of the game will more than cover those costs, and you can expect future sales of the upcoming iterations to be every bit as popular.
