EA SPORTS joins College Rivals Season 4 as official game partner

New Delhi, August 24

With an estimated 300 million football fans, India is one of the world's largest football audiences. The collaboration reflects the growing intersection of football, gaming and youth culture, bringing one of the world's leading football gaming experiences closer to the country's next generation of gamers.

The partnership aims to bring its games closer to India's next generation of gaming enthusiasts by making it a core part of the College Rivals experience. Across 80-plus colleges in 35-plus cities, students will engage through on-campus activations, competitive esports formats, creator-led experiences and community initiatives, also leveraging College Rivals' nationwide student ambassador network, as per a press release.

As India's largest collegiate gaming and youth culture movement, College Rivals continues to expand across multiple gaming platforms, spanning mobile, PC and console experiences. The partnership further reinforces this vision, bringing one of the world's biggest football gaming franchises into the College Rivals ecosystem. It expands opportunities for students to connect, play, and compete, while celebrating the passion, creativity and competitive spirit of young gamers across the country.

The collaboration will also explore campaigns aligned with key gaming and entertainment moments throughout the season, including opportunities around the highly anticipated launch of EA SPORTS FC 27, further strengthening the connection between football gaming, youth culture and campus communities.

Season 4 marks College Rivals' most ambitious edition yet, featuring a season-long calendar of campus activations, online competitions and community-led experiences across 100-plus colleges in 40-plus cities. Built for India's Gen Z audience, the platform merges gaming, pop culture, music, and dance through immersive experiences. GamingCon Bharat will serve as one of several marquee on-ground moments during the season, alongside digital experiences and campus engagement across the country.

Commenting on the partnership, Ashutosh Sharma, Head of Publishing for India and SEA, EA SPORTS said, "India is an incredibly exciting market for gaming, with a young, connected audience and a deep passion for football. Our partnership with College Rivals allows us to bring EA SPORTS FC Mobile closer to students in an authentic, community-led way, creating more opportunities for players to connect, compete and share their love of the world's game. We are excited to work with College Rivals to build meaningful experiences across campuses and strengthen our connection with the next generation of players in India."

Charlie Baillie, CEO of Ampverse Group, said, "College Rivals has always been about building communities and creating meaningful opportunities for young audiences to engage with gaming and entertainment. Our partnership with EA SPORTS strengthens this vision by bringing one of the world's most recognised football gaming experiences closer to India's college ecosystem. Together, we aim to create experiences that go beyond competition and help foster a deeper connection between students, gaming and youth culture."

Through this partnership, College Rivals and the EA SPORTS FC Mobile Season Update aim to further strengthen the gaming ecosystem in India by creating accessible and engaging experiences for students while celebrating the passion, creativity and competitive spirit of young gamers across the country.

— ANI