EA Acquires Advanced Tracking Technology to Revolutionize EA Sports FC Series

Electronic Arts (EA) has announced an acquisition that will probably elevate the realism of its popular sports games. The company has reached an agreement to purchase TRACAB Technologies, a leader in advanced sports optical tracking and analysis solutions. 

This acquisition promises to enhance EA Sports’ football titles by integrating cutting-edge data capture capabilities for more lifelike player movements and match dynamics.

TRACAB’s technology is designed to capture a wide array of detailed data from real-life sports events. By processing over 600 million data points per game, the system tracks 65 unique data points for each player and referee, capturing live skeleton data from 21 joints per player along with the center of mass and ball tracking. The high level of precision, measuring up to 60 times per second, will offer a much more accurate portrayal of in-game actions.

EA has long utilized tracking technology to recreate real-life player movements within its sports simulations. In recent years, the company gained attention for its ability to replicate Manchester City’s star forward Erling Haaland’s distinctive running style by analyzing footage of live matches. However, the integration of TRACAB’s technology promises to take this level of realism even further.

Cam Weber, president of EA Sports, highlighted the significance of the acquisition: “Data is at the center of every meaningful advancement in the world of sports today, and as EA Sports leads the future of interactive sports experience through the use of more and more real-world data, TRACAB will bring more best-in-class capture and data technologies directly into our portfolio.”

The deal also hints at potential enhancements for EA’s upcoming game, EA Sports FC 26, slated for release in September 2025. However, it remains unclear if TRACAB’s technology will be implemented in this year’s game.

“We expect TRACAB’s cutting-edge technology and expertise in live event data combined with our game engine to also accelerate groundbreaking new features in the EA Sports App,” Weber added.

EA Sports’ football titles, including “Madden NFL” and “EA Sports FC,” have generated over $10 billion in total revenue.