EA College Football devs reportedly fear franchise may not last the decade

Developers on EA Sports' College Football series are worried the franchise could be gone by 2030, according to a report from Insider Gaming cited by IGN.

Insider Gaming's sources claim the series has seen declining sales with each new entry since its 2024 debut, while costs have skyrocketed. Rights payments to college athletes have tripled, from $600 per player in 2024 to $1,500 currently, reportedly costing EA around $20 million for its latest game.

The rising costs have EA trying to monetize single-player modes, per the report. This sparked backlash this summer, leading EA to reverse course, though one source told Insider Gaming that microtransactions for single-player are planned to return.

"We’re not FC. We’re not Madden. We don’t make the money they do, and everyone knows it," a source said to Insider Gaming. They reportedly fear that EA might streamline its portfolio and dump non-core franchises.

The report notes not all sources share this doom-and-gloom outlook, with some believing the franchise has a strong future. However, sales rankings in the US have slipped from second place in 2024 to tenth place so far this year for the latest entry.