EA Sports today announced Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo as the global cover athlete for the upcoming "FIFA 18," set to release Sept. 29. It will be the first appearance on the cover of the biggest sports game in the world for the player widely considered to be the best in the world. Ronaldo previously appeared on the cover of competitor "Pro Evolution Soccer" on three occasions.
To deliver innovation in FIFA 18, Cristiano Ronaldo’s data was recently recorded during a training session at a mobile EA Capture studio in Madrid. Data capture of Ronaldo’s acceleration, run cadence, skills, and shooting technique were all recorded to bring veracity to his likeness and personality in "FIFA 18." His data also informed important gameplay elements including fluidity, player responsiveness and explosiveness.
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“It is a real pleasure to be on the cover of FIFA 18,” Cristiano Ronaldo said. “It’s a great feeling and I am grateful to have been chosen.”
"FIFA 18" will release on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. A version built specifically for Nintendo Switch will be known as "EA Sports FIFA." Pre-orders of the Ronaldo special edition of the game will get it three days early (Sept. 26), 20 jumbo premium Gold Packs for Ultimate Team mode and more.
Big news on features for "FIFA 18" and other upcoming sports games including "Madden NFL 18" will be coming out of the EA Play press briefing on Saturday, June 10. That event will be live streamed at noon PT .
Bryan Wiedey posts sports gaming news and analysis daily at Pastapadre.com, is co-founder of the sports gaming site HitThePass.com, hosts the "Press Row Podcast" and can be reached on Twitter @Pastapadre .