FIFA 14 petition calls for female players

By Brenna Hillier

Once more into the fray, dear friends; sign your name on the dotted line to ask EA Sports to include women in a FIFA game.

Another Change.org petition has surfaced, this time targeting the upcoming FIFA 14, which is yet to be fully revealed. Organisers call for female characters to be playable in-game, something the franchise has overlooked in every release to date.

Women’s soccer is rapidly gaining popularity as a spectator sport around the world, spurred on by a great tournament at the London 2012 Olympics. Accrding to the petition’s materials, 40% of US soccer players are female, and according to the ESA, 47% of gamers are, too.

This isn’t the first time a petition has fought to see FIFA become more inclusive, but last year’s efforts bore no fruit, with series producer David Rutter saying EA Sports has “no plans” to follow through.

What makes EA’s stubbornness particularly interesting is that both FIFA and NHL are developed by EA Canada, but while the flagship sports franchise remains adamantly all-male, the hockey series has opened its borders. NHL 13 features a couple of female players, inspired by a teenage girl’s letter written to all-round rad guy Peter Moore, then head of the EA Sports label and now COO (and potential CEO).

Thanks, GwynbleiddiuM.