Ted Lasso Is Coming To EA Sports
Ted Lasso will officially be part of FIFA 23 as a playable manager with AFC Richmond.
Jason Sudeikis’ character from the hit Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso will make his appearance in EA Sports’ upcoming FIFA 23 — the publisher’s final FIFA release following the contract expiration between EA and the Football Association. Ted Lasso will be playable as a football manager along with the television show’s fictional football club AFC Richmond, which will be used across FIFA 23’s various gaming modes, including the Career mode.
According to Deadline, Jason Sudeikis, the actor portraying Lasso, expressed his gratitude for having Ted Lasso and the entire AFC Richmond incorporated in the upcoming game. He also stated that he’s a long-standing fan of EA Sports’ FIFA gaming series and that he, and the whole team, are excited and grateful to be featured in the newest iteration of the game. So far, probably the most popular football video game series typically featured real-life clubs, but the upcoming release will integrate the characters of Ted Lasso into the action. So, fantasy league?
But Sudeikis wasn’t the only one to show excitement regarding Ted Lasso’s appearance in the EA Sports game. David Jackson, EA Sports VP of a brand, also stated that the crew behind Ted Lasso became a cultural phenomenon that brought the passion of football to a million fans across the globe in a very short time and on limited prior experience. Electronic Arts, which previously split with Federation International Football Association, is most likely trying to recuperate the player count after FIFA had announced that it would helm its own franchise following the release of FIFA 23.
The FIFA gaming series is one of the most popular football (soccer) gaming franchises on the market, and following the split between Electronic Arts and FIFA, EA is concerned, and perhaps rightfully so, that the fans of their gaming series might side with the future releases published by the Football Association. The company’s wide roster of gaming titles has come under criticism by the gaming community, especially regarding the botched release of Battlefield 2042. By adding the beloved TV characters to their upcoming game, EA is likely hoping to bring in new players.
The upcoming FIFA 23 will be the last game published under the Electronic Arts publishing banner and the last football game with the FIFA name attached to it. EA stated that it would continue to release more soccer games in the future, but under the new name — EA Sports FC. Admittedly, EA’s fans are likely to continue playing the games even without the official backing of the Football Association, but this is still a massive change for the soccer franchise, which ended along with a three-decade-long partnership.
Apple TV+ show Ted Lasso recently won its second Emmy for Outstanding Comedy, which is an impressive achievement for a relatively new streaming show. The addition of Ted Lasso to the EA Sports game was welcomed by the players, and the upcoming game is receiving other additions, too, like cross-play, the World Cup, and women’s club teams — which are added for the very first time. The game is scheduled for a worldwide release on September 30 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Stadia, PS4, and Xbox One.
