Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening. Welcome to Amsterdam, considered by many to be the birthplace of modern football. Tonight, I hope you'll agree, we're gonna take another giant leap forward. As I look out in the audience, I see a lot of familiar faces, people who've been on this journey with us for more than two decades. I know that what we have on the live stream is many, many millions of people around the world who have contributed maybe in the most important way, by playing our game, competing with each other, enjoying the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat as part of our EA SPORTS football experiences. To quote many great people who have come before me, "Football is life," and as part of that, our lives are full of these stories fueled by football.
For me, if you couldn't figure it out already, I grew up in Australia, and in amongst rugby, and cricket, and surfing, and other crazy stuff, we played football. We called it soccer there, but it was football. I played on a great team with great people who went on to do some pretty extraordinary things. What's most important for me for that time are the friendships that I forged, friendships that have lasted me a lifetime. As I grew, I went to work at an Italian restaurant to help pay my way through high school and college. In addition to a bunch of very passionate Italians, we had two Turks, a Swede, a Dane, an Englishman from Blackpool, and an Armenian maître d' who went by the name of Gino Almano. Not his real name, but that's a different story.
Gino was a very particular character with lots of very interesting characteristics. The most important to us was as a 40-something midfielder, which seemed ancient to me at the time. He was an incredible playmaker in our Tuesday night pub league. I joined Electronic Arts in 2000, I almost immediately started spending time in the U.K. and broader Europe, ultimately ended up living in the U.K. for a stint. In a small studio apartment above a curry shop, which, if you're a kid growing up with not much disposable income, has all kinds of benefits. For the first time in my life, I no longer had to seek football out. I was surrounded by it. I got to go see my first-ever Premier League match, Fulham playing at Loftus Road.
Craven Cottage was getting a refit, and Fulham were great, but Chelsea was my team. I've been criticized a great deal over the years for being a Chelsea fan for all kinds of different reasons. For me, watching Lampard and Drogba play was electrifying, and I couldn't get away from the attraction I had to Chelsea Football Club. I got to travel around Europe. I remember being in Munich in the winter and going to see Bayern play.
I was not prepared for the cold. I get there, I have a jacket on. I don't know what the temperature was, but it was cold. I go immediately to the merchandise stand, and I buy beanies and scarves and socks and whatever paraphernalia I could get on my body to keep me warm. I went to the bar and grabbed a drink and worked my way to my seat. I put my drink down and began cheering with my friends and fans around me, and for what seemed like minutes, I bent down to pick up my drink, and it was frozen. As an Aussie kid who grew up on the beach, I'd never seen this kind of environmental dark magic.
As I stood there clenching this ice cube shaped as a cup, looking enviously at those around me drinking warm red wine, I thought to myself, "This is football." It did prepare me for the next chapter of my football story, which is I got invited to go to Vancouver, Canada, that also gets a little cold from time to time, and become part of the EA SPORTS football video game team. We were the UN of video game development. We were 19 nationalities speaking what felt like 20 different languages. For those of you that were part of the journey back then, the game we had then isn't the game we have now. We would come to work every day, united by this one thing, this passion, this love that we had for football.
We would challenge ourselves and ask ourselves the question: What happens if we go all in? What if we give this everything we've got? At a time where it wasn't our biggest game as a company, at a time where it wasn't the biggest sports game in the world, but it was the biggest game in the world, and we felt like it deserved everything we had. We challenged ourselves: Could we change the way football video games are played? Well, it's 2010. Since I was able to work directly with that team, I went on to do some different things in the company and ended up here before you today. As I look back, what that team, in partnership with all of you, all of our friends, all of our partners, all of our players, what that team has done is truly extraordinary.
We have 150 million fans, which, if you measured us as a country, would make us the 9th-biggest country in the world. Last year alone, we had 9 billion hours of play, more than three times the viewership of the world's biggest linear entertainment properties. It's hard to argue that together we came and we changed the way football video games were played. If we let ourselves think just a little more broadly and a little more ambitiously, and I think about the evolution of creativity and athletic performance inside of our game, I think about the fact that many of the biggest teams in the world, in the biggest leagues in the world, use our game in their youth programs to develop this great young talent that's coming up. If I watch what happens on the pitch on Sundays.
It's hard to argue that maybe, just maybe, just a little way, we have changed the way football is played. This is not about my story. This is about all of our stories. This is about our collective story, how we've come together, how football has fueled the great things in our lives. Collectively, we believe in the power of football. It's the biggest game in the world, but it's more than just a game. Today, we're going all in again, taking what we believe is one of the biggest steps possible. We believe that together, we can build the world's largest football community, where we can connect a billion fans through play. Just so you know, we can't do it without all of you. Again, thank you for being here. Welcome to EA SPORTS FC. Welcome to the club.
Without further ado, I'd like to introduce you to President of EA SPORTS and dear friend of mine, Cam Weber.
Thanks, Andrew. Let me echo my thanks to everyone for being here with us in Amsterdam and to all of you in the community that are joining us on the live stream. It means the world that you're here with us today, because this is for all of you, for everyone who loves football, and this is bigger than games. We're here because something about sport in its purest forms, the connection, competition, teamwork, passion, athletes doing extraordinary things, something about all of that moves us each in deep and personal ways. That's what's always drawn me to sports.
Like so many of you, I'm sure, I played football as a young kid and as a little striker, working together with my teammates on the pitch, the buildup of touches, combining together to put the ball in the back of the net, I experienced why football really is the beautiful game. As a Canadian, I also grew up going to Vancouver Whitecaps matches with my dad, that I remember when I was a little guy. Fast-forward far into the future to today, and now I spend my Saturday mornings watching Premier League matches with my son, who also played football as his first sport as well, and we spent a lot of time playing our games as well. You know, once football is part of you, it never really leaves. Football is also where I began with EA SPORTS.
I was part of that UN of football that Andrew just talked about up in Vancouver. I was a little part of that. That was the point where I saw and felt the true power of football on a global scale, how our studio teams rallied to bring these experiences to life, the relentless focus on gameplay innovation, keeping pace with the real world of football, and reaching to connect players in all corners of the world. Through it all, I've seen two things to be true. One, football has a real soul to it, and as fans, athletes, artists, and creators, I'm sure you all feel that, too. That limitless excitement for what could happen next. Two, football is also really about skill. There's a technicality to it, but also there's power, and that creates unpredictable moments. Football's never static.
It's always evolving, always moving, and at EA SPORTS, we carry these two principles as well. We call them authenticity and innovation. They're central threads, foundational pieces of what EA SPORTS is all about. With authenticity, we're gonna create FC experiences that champion a new culture of play through everything that makes up the soul of football, from athletes, to teams, to competitions, to fan communities. With innovation, we're about to take the single biggest leap in technology and immersion that interactive football has ever seen. We've said from the start that we're building the world's biggest football club with EA SPORTS FC, and we meant it. That's a commitment to all of you, built on soul and skill of football, authenticity and innovation, growing it all together. We've got millions of fans engaging with our platform every day.
Beyond that, we also recognize our responsibility to elevate and drive participation in the sport as well, and that extends beyond the digital world. With EA SPORTS FC FUTURES, we have a $10 million plan to meaningfully invest in community-level football on a global scale. We're proud to be partnering with football organizations and icons from across the globe to inspire young football players, providing access to new and refurbished pitches, drills, and equipment. We'll bring some of these pitches to our FC game experiences as well. In partnership with UEFA, we've also developed a series of free training videos using our in-game skills mode for young players and community coaches to use for everyday training. Through EA SPORTS FC, we're able to do so much more for fans. We're partnering with brands that share our commitment to growing the love of football.
We've got so much exciting collaborations coming up and look forward to sharing more of that with you in the future. It all begins here, in the cradle of modern football in Amsterdam. Here's a film that represents the future of football that we're building together with our fans and our players and all of you. Welcome to the club.
30 years of packing the stands and putting you on the pitch, but it's time to get closer. There we go. This is a whole different game, one that's spirit can't be broken. From this close, icons become just teammates. Limits look more like milestones. Like making that dream move a reality.
Or setting a bar for the next generation to beat. The closer you get, the more you start to feel a bit of magic, the kind that inspires generations, gives us legends to learn from, and pushes us to become better. It dares us to take risks, and we back those who do the same. Quiet! Flex on them, Vini. You can rep your childhood club and wear any color. All you've got to do is play. That's what brings us closer to each other and closer to the world's game. Well, I don't need to tell you that, though. You're part of this. Always have been, and you're in good company. Welcome to the club,
Woo! Yeah! Thanks so much to Cam for sharing that with us. A great film showcasing EA SPORTS' ability to bring fans closer: closer to football, closer to each other, and closer to the world's game. It's fitting that we're here in Amsterdam, the home of total football. This city has given so much to the game, whether it's a proving ground for Cruyff's triangular tactics or the birthplace of legends like Rijkaard, Bergkamp, and Gullit. Amsterdam is the perfect setting for us to launch the next chapter of EA SPORTS Football Platform, the next chapter of the world's game. Authenticity and innovation, as Cam said, these are central pillars for us and our network of partners across the world of football. Amazing partners with us here tonight, from UEFA to CONMEBOL, NWSL, and Serie A.
These partners enable us to deliver on these core tenets, not only through the licenses and likenesses in our games, but also through the innovative ways we work together to engage with fans and bring them closer to football. EA SPORTS FC is the world's biggest football club. We know how important it is for fans to play authentically with their favorite leagues, teams, and talent. Over many years, we've built an ecosystem of more than 300 partners, representing more than 19,000 athletes in more than 700 teams across 30 leagues and in over 100 stadia. Incredible IP, from the passion of the Bundesliga, the power and tenacity of the NWSL, and the Gloria Eterna of the CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores. Here with us tonight are the trophies of the world's greatest football competitions, representing the hopes and dreams of fans all over the world.
You might have noticed there are a few items missing, which suggests some big and exciting news for our fans. Much news, in fact, that I'm gonna need some help in sharing it. Please welcome to the stage an incredible athlete, UEFA Women's Champions League winner and EA SPORTS ambassador, Alex Scott!
Woo, woo! Thank you. That is really heavy, you know. Wow, love the cheer from down here. Thank you very much. DJ, I thought I'd bring that with me.
Thank you.
Is that all right?
That's good.
'Cause it was...
We needed it. Yeah.
We needed it. It's such an amazing experience playing in the competition, winning it. DJ, you know, I actually managed to score a goal back in 2007.
Pretty amazing.
Just thought I'd put that one in there. The Women's UEFA Champions League made its debut for EA SPORTS this season. We know the response from players has been incredible. We've got Laura Georges, we've got Kelly Smith here in the room as well, so it's amazing. Give them a cheer, everyone, in the night. We also know that the Women's Champions League is made up of teams from all over the phenomenal women's leagues across Europe. Two of them, which already exist in the EA SPORTS experiences through England's WSL. You've got France's Division 1 Féminine. Tonight, everybody, I am thrilled to confirm that EA SPORTS is adding two new women's leagues to FC 24. Come on, now. Come on! Yes, good out, team. We've got Spain's Liga F with massive clubs like Barcelona, Real Madrid.
We've got Germany's Frauen-Bundesliga, featuring giants like Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg, all entering the game for the first time. I love that whoop over at the back. What else do we have to share, DJ?
Well, last week, we unveiled our incredible new partnership with LaLiga. It includes naming rights for both leagues-
Nice
Long-term licenses for our games, and a joint commitment to supporting grassroots football in Spain via our FC FUTURES program. LaLiga EA SPORTS is the pinnacle of Spanish football and one of the most watched leagues in the world. We're very grateful for the deep and extensive partnership we share with the LaLiga team and all their clubs. To celebrate this, on behalf of our players, we wanted to ask someone who spent a little bit of time with the trophy to join us up here. Please welcome to the stage a man with a velvet first touch, FC icon and Ballon d'Or winner, Luís Figo.
It's a very nice trophy.
Very nice.
It is very nice. Thank you, Luis.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Thank you for joining us.
Alex?
Yes.
What's next?
There's more. There's more. Oh, one more round of applause. Okay. Well, one of the most loved competition in global football is the Premier League, played by millions of fans across all of our experiences. Tonight, EA SPORTS can proudly confirm they have signed an exclusive multi-year agreement with the League to authentically represent every single athlete, club, and stadium across the FC portfolio for years to come. I'm just gonna put it out there, I'm not necessarily a fan of this club. We all know where my heart is, but Andrew is. I am a huge fan of this player. Please welcome to the stage, everyone, four-time winner of the Premier League, and he is a Chelsea legend. It is Didier Drogba.
Didier, merci. Merci. It's cool.
Yo.
Yeah!
Come on, everyone. Fan down there, Didier.
Taller than you.
I'm just short.
Yeah, yeah. All right, this final competition sits at the pinnacle of men's European football. It's the ultimate expression of glory, and winners write their names into the fabric of football eternity. Alongside the Libertadores, it stands separate in the pantheon of prizes available in club football, and I'm thrilled to announce tonight that EA SPORTS has entered into a new exclusive agreement with UEFA to share it with FC players for many years to come. For this one, we'll let the choir do the talking. Yeah! Oh, dear. Thanks, man.
Come on, man. I think we need another one. Everyone, Ronaldinho! Can you get any cooler than that? Whoo! Okay, EA SPORTS invests in these partnerships for the benefit of football fans everywhere, and in the name of unrivaled authenticity. This is an incredible lineup of trophies right behind us, and the exceptional lineup of partners on the screen behind me right now represent the stories of football fans everywhere. This lineup is only possible through EA SPORTS, and they will all be a part of FC experiences.
We know how important it is for authenticity for our fans to play with their favorite athletes, teams, and leagues however they choose to play, and that's why we're so energized by the network we've created across the entire world of football. Thanks to Alex, Luís, Didier, and the one and only Ronaldinho for helping share this news with us this evening. Now, here to share how we'll represent all of this for all of you is Nick Wlodyka, the GM of EA SPORTS FC, to showcase the innovative and all-new FC 24.
Absolutely incredible. Thank you, DJ. On behalf of our development teams and partner studios all around the world, I'm honored to share with you the interactive future of the sport we all love. When considering what matters most to you, our fans, in FC 24, we established two clear directives driven by the pillars of authenticity and innovation. Number one, to create experiences where previously never before possible for us to achieve. Number two, to build from our 30-year foundation of innovative gameplay to bring you even closer to the world's game. Let's get into it. Let me show you our most authentic football experience yet, built with the best fans, leagues, and partners. Let me show you FC 24 and the FC brand ecosystem, its foundation. FC 24 is built on a trinity of all-new technology that revolutionizes gameplay. Let's start with HyperMotionV.
This is the biggest step change in any EA SPORTS game, possibly ever. HyperMotionV utilizes volumetric capture from more than 180 matches to build the most precise animations ever. We can now see a play happen in real-time in the Champions League, and within days, have those animations in our engine ready to drop into the game for you. You'll remember this iconic goal from Erling Haaland in the Champions League, now in animation in-game, thanks to HyperMotionV. This is the first time we've been able to capture direct from live professional matches, and that gets you closer to the real thing than ever before. Next, the Frostbite engine is always evolving, and this season is no exception. It's been totally overhauled, and you just saw what it can do in the trailer a few minutes ago. So what's powering Frostbite?...
Our all-new EA SPORTS SAPIEN technology, which delivers body forms 10 times more precise than previous iterations and measures movement to the smallest detail, so player likeness is unmatched. You can see here in the animation of the kits, GPU Cloth finally models the fits of modern football. Now, you can see player athleticism as kits respond to players as they move. Frostbite powers an all-new match- day experience, as you see here. Dynamic match intros and match day menus will showcase never-before-seen angles of the action, including new footage of pundits and commentators. Now, that's a lot! We have 1 more to highlight. Our third piece in the trinity of technology is PlayStyles, optimized by Opta. As many of you know, Opta has been the industry leader in understanding player data for 25 years.
With this collaboration, we've equipped footballers with their signature abilities, and we're calling those PlayStyles. Sam Kerr, without PlayStyles, might miss the target. Sam, with the finesse finishing PlayStyle, clearly finds the back of the net. Take it from me, this is the best gameplay we've ever had, and we also have massive news in our modes. It starts with Ultimate Team, but I'll let someone much more qualified tell you a little bit about it.
Hey, Nick, EA SPORTS, and everyone in Amsterdam and all the people watching. I want to say congratulations on the reveal of FC. I'm gutted to not be there, but very happy to be an official ambassador for EA SPORTS, and I'm so proud of the development across the women's game, especially to hear and announce the massive news that women's football will be in Ultimate Team this year. Congrats again, Nick and EA SPORTS FC team. Hope you all have some time to tune in to cheer on the Lionesses with me soon. All the best.
Thank you, Leah. Ultimate Team is the most-played mode where you build your dream squad. The big news that Leah just broke: women's football is coming to Ultimate Team. This is the biggest player pool we've ever introduced, including heroes, icons, and six different competitions, unlocking the most squad-building opportunities you've ever had. Ultimate Team is also introducing Evolutions, allowing you to upgrade players throughout the season based on your play, so you can build true, unique club legends in your squad. Our focus for FC 24 is only matched by our ambition for the massive FC ecosystem that includes Online, Mobile, Tactical, and FC Pro. Later in September, when it updates, FC Online will be a part of the Asian Games. That's exciting news, as it's the very first time video games will be recognized as an official sport.
FC Mobile delivers a whole new feature set to its growing base of over 100 million fans, with an update to come later this fall. We're also expanding our mobile offering with FC Tactical, a turn-based strategy game offering entirely new ways to experience the world's game. This next one is long overdue. FC Pro is our all-new EA SPORTS platform, the esports platform, excuse me, built with our league partners and our pro players. We've never been able to do this. FC Pro simplifies the path to the finals that puts all players in a single competitive structure, culminating in the FC Pro Championship. Finally, we're expanding the FC brand and ecosystem in entirely new ways. We're very, very early on with many different projects, and there's a lot to get excited about. Okay, let me just say thank you. Thank you to all of you.
FC is a platform intended to grow the love of football. It's created by, for, and with our entire worldwide community. FC 24 will launch globally on September 29th. Get early access on September 22nd if you pre-order the Ultimate Edition. Now, without further ado, here is the world premiere of EA SPORTS FC 24. Absolutely love it! We're not done just yet. We have one last thing. Everyone, welcome Erling Haaland to the FC family.
Thank you.
Congratulations, Erling. It's been a remarkable season. Premier League goal scoring record, the treble. We're so proud to have you grace the cover of this very special FC. What do you think? How did we do?
No, I like it, I have to say. It's not bad. No, I really like. Oh, first of all, the picture is really nice from the game, where I scored 5 goals, so that's a good start. Also, I mean, it's a dream. Everyone knows that as a footballer and everything, it's a dream for every single guy that plays football, then to be able to be on the cover is really nice. I'm really happy, yeah, it's a, it's a really proud moment.
Thank you, Erling, for joining us on this memorable day. Thank you, everyone. That's the end of the show. Goodbye from Amsterdam!