If it’s in the game, it’s in the game. E. A. Sports. It’s in the game! That familiar refrain included some new features in EA Sports College Football 27, and it nearly derailed the franchise.
EA Sports College Football 27, the third game since it was rebooted in the NIL era, was released in three different stages. Content creators got first dibs to help strum up hype for the game. Customers who couldn’t wait an extra week or two purchased the Deluxe version of the game. That’s when EA Sports tried to pull a fast one on fans.
A new feature was added to the popular Dynasty Mode and Road to Glory. What was that cool feature? Spending more money to be better at the game!
EA Sports added microtransactions to nickel and dime customers while playing offline. Microtransactions — charging customers for add-ons to enhance their gaming experience — have become a norm in the world of online gaming, but foisting it on customers playing offline is an unforgivable line that was crossed.
It’s not just that EA tried to monetize offline modes; these features were not present when content creators tested the product. The company added them later, once the Deluxe Edition was released. If that sounds like shady behavior, you will not be surprised to learn that EA Sports was recently acquired by the Saudi Public Investment Fund.
Kentucky Fan Takes a Stand
One of the most popular EA Sports College Football content creators calls Kentucky home. James Bordeaux is a Harrodsburg native who lives in Louisville and grew up cheering for the Cats. He’s cultivated nearly 600,000 subscribers while playing the college football franchise.
He was one of the content creators who sampled the product early. Last year, he got to attend the photoshoot at the Rose Bowl for the cover. Once he heard about the microtranscations that were added to the game, he used his platform to take a stand against his partners at EA Sports.
Bordeaux created the #CFBPlayDontPay movement, and it took over the internet. Reviews of the game tanked. Two of Bordeaux’s videos criticizing EA Sports combined to get more than a million views. Articles were written, building even more momentum for the movement. Within a few days, EA Sports responded by removing the microtransactions.
The people won. The game was saved. All thanks to a Kentucky fan who stuck it to The Man.
Watch Bordeaux win a Title with Kentucky
Before the company snuck microtransactions into EA Sports College Football 27, Bordeaux turned the game on and started playing with his favorite team. The goal: Rebuild the Kentucky football program and win a CFP National Championship within five years. See how he cooked with Will Stein‘s Wildcats in the new video game.