After an 11-year drought, EA Sports has released a new college football video game featuring the likenesses of 11,000 real players. To get an accurate likeness of all those players, “EA Sports College Football 25” relied on artificial intelligence to create digital avatars, as first reported by The Wall Street Journal. AI marks a major update for the franchise and a milestone in the integration of AI into video games as a whole.
EA Sports wanted to create virtual athletes for its game. The company developed AI tools capable of transforming photos into detailed 3D avatars. But while full-body scans are standard for producing virtual versions of NFL players in the Madden NFL series, there are six times as many athletes in NCAA Division I football. So EA wanted a more efficient and less expensive option. The company, with the approval of players, instead used college headshots and an AI model to produce virtual players that could be inserted into the game.
EA canceled its college football game series in 2013 after a class-action lawsuit over image rights. With NCAA policy changes on the way, the new game and its real-world likeness were announced in 2021. Each player received a deluxe copy of the game and at least $600. High-profile players received larger amounts in exchange for helping promote the game by appearing on the game’s cover and encouraging people to buy it on social media.
EA NCAA AI
The models used in the new game are, by necessity, less detailed than the Madden NFL models, but much more specific than the generic players used in previous editions of EA Sports College Football. The AI also didn’t always create a perfect, usable model on its first try. In those cases, EA would fine-tune the images and data provided to the AI model until it had what it needed, which also helped teach the AI what the company was looking for in its creations.
Fortunately, the AI models will also set the stage for future annual releases in the game series. Having done it once, the AI will likely be faster and better at doing it again, especially with players already cataloged. It also sets a precedent for other future sports titles, such as car racing, hockey, and others.
By leveraging AI technology, the company efficiently overcame the logistical challenges of scanning thousands of college athletes, delivering a more authentic and immersive gameplay experience. As the franchise reboots with these innovations, it sets a new standard for realism in sports video games, highlighting the potential for AI to improve future titles in other ways as well.
