1240ET - Electronic Arts cut guidance in part because EA Sports FC 25 and the game's monetization-heavy Ultimate Team mode don't seem to be resonating with players this year in a way that can drive spending, Jefferies analysts say in a note. It's possible that soccer interest is lower this year following the World Cup in 2022, an interesting Euro Cup last year and EA changing the name of its soccer series from FIFA to FC in 2023, the analysts say. There were also player issues voiced this year that clearly had more of an impact on in-game spending than usual, the analysts say. An early January update that made sweeping changes to FC 25 was met with overwhelmingly positive player feedback, indicating how severe the issues were beforehand, the analysts say. (dean.seal@wsj.com)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 23, 2025 12:40 ET (17:40 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.