Game manufacturer EA announces closures of several major titles towards the end of the current year
In a move that may impact gaming enthusiasts worldwide, Electronic Arts (EA) has announced plans to shut down the online servers for several of its games. Among the titles affected are Madden NFL 22, FIFA 23, and Rory McIlroy PGA Tour, to name a few.
The shutdowns, scheduled for various dates in 2025 and 2026, mark a shift in EA's focus towards newer titles and optimising resources. However, the company has not provided specific reasons for each game's shutdown beyond the general trend of culling older titles and focusing on newer ones.
Here is a list of the games affected and their respective shutdown dates:
| Game | Shutdown Date | |----------------------------|--------------------------| | Rory McIlroy PGA Tour | January 16, 2025 | | The Simpsons: Tapped Out | January 24, 2025 | | Blood & Glory: Immortals | January 29, 2025 | | Contract Killer: Sniper | January 29, 2025 | | Deer Hunter Classic | January 29, 2025 | | Dino Hunter: Deadly Shores | January 29, 2025 | | Eternity Warriors 4 | January 29, 2025 | | Frontline Commando 2 | January 29, 2025 | | Frontline Commando: D-Day | January 29, 2025 | | UFC 3 | February 17, 2025 | | EA Sports UFC Mobile 2 | March 13, 2025 | | NCAA 14 | March 13, 2025 | | Madden NFL 21 | June 30, 2025 | | Madden NFL 22 | October 20, 2025 | | FIFA 23 | December 12, 2025 | | Anthem | January 12, 2026 |
It's worth noting that EA has already stopped support for 13 games this year, including Rory McIlroy PGA Tour, UFC 3, and The Simpsons: Tapped Out.
The FIFA 23 server shutdown is particularly significant as it's the last FIFA game EA Sports made before the FIFA license use was not agreed upon, leading to the game being rebranded to EA Sports FC. Support for that ends on 12 December. Anthem, another affected title, will completely shut down on 12 January 2026 and will also be delisted from EA Play and Game Pass Ultimate on 15 August.
Outside of EA, other gaming companies like Xbox have also been involved in significant studio closures and game cancellations, which may affect the gaming landscape in the coming years.
For those interested in staying updated on the latest gaming news, indy100 offers a free weekly newsletter and a free WhatsApp channel. The platform also features a news democracy system where users can upvote articles to raise their rankings.
In other gaming news, the Battlefield 6 leak has revealed details about the game's operators, while the Star Wars Rogue One hallway scene has been recreated in Battlefront 2, this time on Endor.
Technology advancements have prompted Electronic Arts (EA) to focus on newer titles and optimize resources, leading to the shutdown of several older games such as Madden NFL 22 and FIFA 23. As technology evolves, gadget enthusiasts may find themselves searching for replacements for these soon-to-be obsolete titles.
