EA Sports today confirmed a brand new PGA Tour game is in development and revealed this can not feature iconic golfer Tiger Woods for the 1st time because the franchise debuted in 1999. The developer and Tiger Woods have made a mutual decision to finish their relationship, EA Sports said in an announcement.
“We’ve always been big fans of Tiger and we would like him continued success in all his future endeavors,” EA Sports VP of Golf Daryl Holt said.
Woods was the foremost dominant player in professional golf throughout the 2013 season. He won five times on tour–including on the Players–was named Player of the Year, and topped the cash list, taking home greater than $8.5 million in winnings through the season.
EA Sports said its partnership with the PGA Tour “remains strong” and EA will remain the exclusive developer of pro golf games.
The developer also shared the primary screenshot of the brand new PGA Tour game–in development for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and mobiles–and teased that the title will allow for greater customization.
“EA Sports golf fans have always loved authentic courses and players, but they’ve also asked for more choice and customization in how and where they play,” Holt said. “We’re engaged on a brand new method to deliver the correct golf experience to our fans–we predict you’ll like it, and so we’re excited to share the 1st screenshot of our next generation golf game currently in development.”
No release window was provided for the brand new PGA Tour game. EA will report earnings for its latest financial period tomorrow, October 29, where additional information can be shared.
A report from Kotaku in April suggested EA had planned to outsource Tiger Woods PGA Tour 15, but later decided to scrap the sport altogether, making 2014 the 1st year since 1999 EA won’t ship a game within the series.
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14 shipped in March for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It features a variety of franchise-firsts, including night golf, LPGA support, and a Legends of the Majors mode that enables players to travel back in virtual time to compete against icons like Bobby Jones and Jack Nicklaus.
For more, look at GameSpot’s review.