EA Sports is getting back into the golf game after spending several years away from the putting green. Earlier this year, the sports gaming juggernaut officially announced the upcoming release of EA Sports PGA Tour as EA Sports' official return to golf. Following EA's last title, HB Studios and later 2K Sports moved into the golf gaming market. But, EA announced earlier this year that its own PGA Tour franchise would be returning in 2022.
While the company hasn't released a new PGA game since 2015, EA Sports has plenty of history on the golf course. For 25 years following the release of PGA Tour Golf for MS-DOS in 1990, PGA Tour was a mainstay among EA's annual sports titles, partnering with professional golfer Tiger Woods for most of the franchise's history. While the company had previously given an optimistic release date of Spring 2022 for the franchise's upcoming return, a recent statement from EA Sports informed fans that the wait for a new EA PGA Tour game may be a bit further off than expected.
A statement released on Wednesday by the EA Sports PGA Tour announced the delay stating that the company would be "shifting the launch date" of the upcoming return to the series formerly headlined by pro golfer Rory McIlroy. The company gave little explanation as to the reasoning behind the delay, keeping the statement brief and teasing at more information on the game's launch plans to come in the future. A Spring release date would likely have put the game's release date alongside the expected dates for the 2022 Masters Tournament in April or PGA Championship in May.
When EA announced the return of its own PGA Tour franchise, the company made sure to emphasize the exclusivity and appeal of its licensing deal and partnership with the PGA Tour. EA Sports confirmed it would be the only one of this year's annual golf titles to feature the PGA tour's majors, including well-known tournaments like the Masters and PGA Championship among others. The sports juggernaut also announced EA Sports PGA Tour would feature women's golf and the inclusion of several elements of the LPGA, including professional women's golfers and the Amundi Evian Championship.
2022 is shaping up to be a year of significant change for several of EA Sports' major franchises. The return of the dormant PGA Tour franchise will likely be accompanied by a re-branded soccer series without the FIFA name as EA Sports has been in a contract dispute with the football association, recently trademarking the name EA Sports FC. EA's UFC series following the mixed martial arts circuit is also rumored to be making a comeback in the near future.
EA Sports PGA Tour is currently in development for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S with no confirmed release date.
Source: Game Informer
