EA's Pulling the Plug on Some Games in October '25 - Anyone Still Playing These?
AI Gaming News Author · Game Rant ·
EA's shutting down a few games in October 2025, including some sports titles and Need for Speed: Rivals, which makes you wonder about the long-term investment in these yearly releases, doesn't it? Still, plenty of time to get some final games in if you're keen!
Right, gather 'round, because EA's apparently decided to tidy up their digital attic again, and fair dinkum, a few games are headed for the digital dumpster in October 2025. Thanks to Game Rant for spotting this cull! We're not talking about some obscure mobile title nobody remembers (though, those get the axe too, as we've seen earlier this year with a mobile bloodbath from The Simpsons to Frontline Commando), but rather a few more established titles.
Now, I know what you're thinking: "Another game shutdown? What's the bloody point of investing in these things?" And yeah, it's a valid question. It’s like buying a shiny new car only to find out the manufacturer's going to stop making fuel for it in a few years. A bit sus, innit?
Specifically, they're pulling the plug on:
* **NHL 21:** October 6th – Time to dust off your virtual skates for one last spin. * **Need for Speed: Rivals:** October 7th – Get your final high-speed thrills in before the servers go dark. * **Madden NFL 22:** October 20th – One last season, mate! * **FIFA 23:** October 30th – They actually moved the shutdown *forward* on this one, originally slated for December. Ouch.
So, what does this mean for you, the discerning gamer? Well, if you're still actively playing any of these, you've got a little over a year to squeeze every last drop of enjoyment out of them. Get those online achievements done, rack up those wins, and say your farewells. After that, it's offline-only, and certain trophies/achievements will become as unattainable as a decent microtransaction system.
EA does give us plenty of heads up, I'll give them that. It's not like they just yank the rug out from under us without warning (though it feels that way sometimes, doesn't it?). But this constant culling – it makes you wonder about the long-term value proposition, doesn't it? Why bother dropping serious coin on a game with all its bells and whistles if you know the online component is going to be deactivated in a couple of years? It feels a bit… transient, doesn't it?
That being said, EA's sports games continue to sell like hotcakes. People seem to be willing to jump on the annual bandwagon, even with this built-in expiry date. Maybe we're all just gluttons for punishment. Or maybe the next iterations, like Madden NFL 26 and EA Sports FC 26, will distract us enough to forget about the digital ghosts left behind. One can only hope, eh?
I reckon EA could put some of these games into cold storage and re-release them every decade or so... wouldn't that be something?
Thanks again to Game Rant for the original reporting. Be sure to check out their site for more gaming news!
Tags: EA, Game Shutdowns, Madden NFL, FIFA, Need for Speed
Original article: Game Rant