EA Sports will not release its popular annual college football video game next year, the company announced Thursday, citing ongoing litigation brought by current and former players who want compensation for use of their images in the games.
“This is profoundly disappointing to people who make this game as I expect it will be for the millions who enjoy playing it each year,” Cam Weber, who oversees the company’s NCAA Football and Madden NFL franchises, said in a statement. “Just like companies that broadcast college games and those that provide equipment and apparel, we follow rules that are set by the NCAA — but those rules are being challenged by some student-athletes.”
Current and former college athletes have filed three different lawsuits against EA Sports, the NCAA and the Collegiate Licensing Company for profiting off of their names and images without compensation.
The NCAA announced three months ago that they would withdraw their support of EA’s game due to the high-profile lawsuits. EA left open the possibility of restoring the NCAA Football brand in future years.