Fans to Decide Who Features on the Cover of EA SPORTS FIFA 17

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Electronic Arts Inc. EA today revealed that fans will have the power to select the cover star of EA SPORTS™ FIFA 17. Four previously-announced ambassadors (James Rodriguez of Real Madrid C.F., Anthony Martial of Manchester United, Eden Hazard of Chelsea FC, or Marco Reus of Borussia Dortmund) will go head-to-head in the official FIFA 17 Global Cover Vote.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160705005971/en/

All voting will take place on the official FIFA Cover Vote Website beginning today and running through July 19 at 11:59pm PT. Fans can vote online once per day for their favorite player and earn extra votes by utilizing the auto-share feature with the hashtag #FIFA17CoverReward. Fans can also show their support by Tweeting with the athlete's hashtag (#FIFA17Hazard, #FIFA17James, #FIFA17Martial or #FIFA17Reus). The winner will be revealed on the official FIFA Cover Vote website later in July.

Watch the Cover Vote trailer here.

FIFA 17's four cover contenders – all individually known for their attacking style of play – are also global ambassadors for FIFA 17 and worked with EA SPORTS to influence gameplay and bring innovation to the way players think and move, physically interact with opponents, take set pieces, and use new techniques in attack.

"James, Martial, Hazard, and Reus represent exciting, attacking football and epitomize the innovative play that fans can expect in FIFA 17," said Nick Channon, Senior Producer for EA SPORTS FIFA. "We're excited to see fans rally around their favorite players and see who they select as the cover star for the franchise, and the footballer who will represent FIFA 17 globally."

With innovative gameplay features that let fans own every moment on the pitch, FIFA 17 brings an overhaul to Physical Play, a Set Piece Rewrite, New Attacking Techniques and a brand new Active Intelligence System. Fans can learn more about new features to FIFA 17 by visiting FIFA 17's website, and also by becoming an EA SPORTS FIFA Insider (http://easports.com/fifa). Fans can also join the EA SPORTS FIFA community http://www.facebook.com/easportsfifa and follow us on Twitter @easportsfifa and, Instagram.

EA SPORTS FIFA 17 is developed by EA Vancouver and will be available in North America on September 27 and worldwide on September 29 on Origin™ for PC, Xbox One the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® games and entertainment system and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system. The game is not yet rated.

Fans who pre-order FIFA 17 Super Deluxe Edition can get up to 40 FIFA Ultimate Team™ Jumbo Premium Gold Packs, Team of the Week loan players, and other FUT content. Click here to read about all our available pre-order offers. EA Access* members on Xbox One and Origin Access* members on PC can play the game early with Play First Trials. Stay tuned for more information on access timing and availability.

FIFA 17 is powered by Frostbite™**. One of the industry's leading game engines, Frostbite delivers authentic, true-to-life action, takes players to new football worlds, and introduces fans to characters full of depth and emotion.

*CONDITIONS, LIMITATIONS AND EXCLUSIONS APPLY. SEE EA.COM/EAACCESS/TERMS AND http://www.origin.com/store/origin-access FOR DETAILS.

**Frostbite game engine technology is available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC platform versions only.

Join the EA SPORTS FIFA community at Facebook and on Instagram. Follow us on Twitter @easportsfifa and use the hashtag #FIFA17.

EA SPORTS™ is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, fan programs and cross-platform digital experiences. EA SPORTS creates connected experiences that ignite the emotion of sports through videogames, including Madden NFL football, EA SPORTS™ FIFA, NHL^® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, Rory McIlroy PGA TOUR^® golf, and EA SPORTS UFC^®.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts EA is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, personal computers, mobile phones and tablets. EA has more than 300 million registered players around the world.

In fiscal year 2016, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.4 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for a portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality blockbuster brands such as The Sims™, Madden NFL, EA SPORTS™ FIFA, Battlefield™, Dragon Age™ and Plants vs. Zombies™. More information about EA is available at www.ea.com/news.

EA, EA SPORTS, Origin, Ultimate Team, Frostbite, The Sims, Dragon Age, Plants vs. Zombies and Battlefield are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. and its subsidiaries. John Madden, NFL, NHL, NBA, PGA TOUR, UFC and FIFA are the property of their respective owners and used with permission. "PlayStation" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160705005971/en/