EA Sports CFB25 video game releases major updates on game

College football fans have been waiting over 10 years for another installment of EA Sports' college football video game.

Over the past couple of years, the inclusion of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) in college sports has made the possibility of a new game legal, and EA Sports revealed in 2021 that they would start developing a new game. Now, nearly three years later, it is finally set to happen as lawsuits and other red tape have been waded through thoroughly.

Last week, EA revealed that a summer release (with more details coming in May) was on the docket for the new franchise known as EA Sports College Football 25 or EA Sports CFB25. This week, though, some of the long-awaited details were released a bit early.

On Thursday, EA Sports (in conjunction with virtually every Division-I social media team) revealed that all 134 Division-1 FBS schools would be included in CFB25. Some big-time names in the world of announcing and broadcasting posted social media messages revealing they would be involved in the game, as well. Kirk Herbstreit, David Pollock, Chris Fowler, and others came forward as being "in the game" (a play on EA's slogan "It's in the game").

Also on Thursday, EA Sports revealed the plan for getting players into the game. According to a report from Chris Vanini of The Athletic, players have the option to opt in or opt out of the game.

Those who opt out simply will not be in it. Those who opt will be in the game, will receive a $600 stipend, and will be gifted a premium copy of the game. Players who opt out will be replaced by general avatars with similar attributes. A soft deadline of April 30th will secure a player's spot in the game.

Certain players who opt in will be made "brand ambassadors" and will be compensated at a higher dollar amount in exchange for further use of their names, images, and likenesses. Athletes featured on the game's cover, photographed for in-game graphics, or starring in commercials for the game would fall into this category.

In the announcements and reports from recent weeks, it has also been teased that EA Sports CFB25 will include real-life audio and digitally-created images based on real-life video. This means that college football stadiums and traditions will be featured prominently in the game.

With so many rivalries existing across the nation, college football fans might not agree on much. One thing they can all agree on, however, is that this summer can't get here quickly enough.