EA Sports College Football 25 is easily among the most anticipated video games of the year, following more than a decade of wait for another college football game after NCAA Football 14, released in 2013.
Unsurprisingly, fans were eager to try out the new title, and a whooping 2.2 million unique players jumped into the Early Access deluxe edition, which launched last Monday, July 15 for $100.
Meanwhile, an additional 600,000 players tested the game through the EA Play trial subscription service, where the game went live Tuesday, July 16.
This brings a total of 2.8 million players who have already played College Football 25 even before the $69.99 standard edition's official launch on Friday, July 19.
"This game is for the fans, and the response we've seen from across the collegiate landscape, athletes, creators, celebrities and the core community has been nothing short of spectacular," EA Sports SVP and Group GM Daryl Holt said in a press release.
EA Sports' MVP Bundle Provides Early Access to Two Football Games
Additionally, EA Sports is offering an MVP Bundle that includes deluxe editions of both EA Sports College Football 25 and the upcoming Madden NFL 25 for $149.99. Each game's deluxe edition costs $99.99 separately.
The bundle also provides early access to both games, with Madden NFL 25 starting on August 13 ahead of its official release on August 16.
How Were Student-Athletes Compensated for Appearing in College Football 25?
The recent decision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to allow student-athletes to profit from their names, images, and likenesses has led to college football players receiving compensation from EA Sports for their appearances in College Football 25.
A total of 11,390 players from 134 schools, with up to 85 players per school, were eligible to have their names featured.
Out of these, roughly 11,000 accepted the offer and will be compensated with $600, as well as a copy of the game.
They will also remain in the game throughout their college football careers and will continue to receive annual payments, but they can also choose to opt out of future editions if they want to.
Meanwhile, players who transfer will continue to be compensated as long as they remain on a roster.
Players who did not accept the offer will be left out from the game, and users are blocked from manually adding them.
