EA Sports makes massive announcement for College Football 26

EA Sports has updated fans on the next installment of the College Football video game. On Thursday, it was announced on X/Twitter that EA Sports College Football 26 will be released in the summer.

"We said this place would be full again - thanks to our players, athletes, and fans for filling the house with us. Let's keep that kick off energy going 'til College Football 26 drops this summer (winking face)," EA Sports posted.

The announcement comes as the EA gaming division offers Xbox users the chance to play some of their games, including EA Sports College Football 25, for free from Thursday through Sunday.

The previous College Football game became one of the best-selling games of last year. Fans were excited to play with some of their favorite teams, as EA hadn't released a version of game since 2013. On Dec. 18, 2024, Circana's Mat Piscatella reported that the EA Sports College Football 25 became the best-selling sports video game in U.S. history on Bluesky.

Features that fans didn't like from EA Sports College Football 25

Despite EA Sports College Football 25's success, fans complained that it was missing features after it was released. One problem was that the game didn't allow fans to change a player's attributes offline. EA Sports would instead change player attributes and team ratings when they updated the game, which led to fans sharing their displeasure with it on the EA Sports website.

Another issue fans had was that the game didn't add more options like Road to Glory. Fans couldn't play from high school and weren't given a story in the career mode that would have made the game more engaging. The announcement of the upcoming game has fans optimistic that the next installment will have more options for consumers.

EA Sports College Football 26 Cover Options

EA Sports will have several candidates to choose from who could be the cover star featured in the game. The previous title had quarterback Quinn Ewers, wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter, and running back Donovan Edwards on the cover. Several players who may be ideal to showcase over others have gained popularity over this season.

One of the new stars in the league is Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. He is having a great freshman year with 71 receptions for 1,227 yards and 14 touchdowns. Another candidate could be Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning, who could start for the team next season since Ewers declared for the 2025 NFL draft.

EA Sports will likely announce who will be on the cover in the months ahead of the summer release of EA Sports College Football 26.