EA Play Subscribers Statistics 2026
EA Play counts roughly 12 million users as of 2025, the smallest of the four major gaming subscription services. PlayStation Plus leads at about 51.6 million, more than four times EA Play’s base. This post covers EA Play subscriber numbers, pricing, revenue, and how the service ranks against Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Plus, and Nintendo Switch Online through 2026.
EA Play Subscribers – TL;DR
- EA Play has about 12 million users as of 2025, the smallest of the four large gaming subscription services.
- EA last named a specific figure, around 13 million active players, in February 2021 and has not disclosed one since.
- EA Play costs $5.99 a month or $39.99 a year; EA Play Pro costs $16.99 a month or $119.99 a year.
- 7% of US gamers subscribed to EA Play in a May 2023 Morning Consult survey.
- EA’s live services generated about $5.46 billion in fiscal 2025, its largest revenue segment.
EA Play subscribers sit behind Nintendo Switch Online, Xbox Game Pass, and PlayStation Plus on raw count. The number has moved little since 2021, and EA has stopped reporting it as a headline metric. The service leans on a low $5.99 price and its bundling inside Xbox Game Pass Ultimate rather than on standalone scale.
How Many EA Play Subscribers Are There?
EA Play reached 6.5 million paying subscribers in November 2020, then about 13 million active players by February 2021 once Xbox Game Pass Ultimate began bundling access. EA counted those bundled users as “active players,” not subscribers, and roughly half of the 13 million came from the Game Pass tie-in.
The 2025 estimate of about 12 million sits below that 2021 peak, which points to a flat direct-subscriber base over four years. Broader EA reach is far larger, with 265 million players across EA Sports titles by September 2024, tracked in the wider video game industry figures for the period.
| Metric | Figure | Period |
|---|---|---|
| EA Play paying subscribers | 6.5 million | Nov 2020 |
| EA Play active players (incl. Game Pass) | ~13 million | Feb 2021 |
| EA Play estimated users | ~12 million | 2025 |
| Last specific figure disclosed | ~13 million (2021) | Post-2021 |
Source: Game Developer, Quantumrun
EA Play Subscribers vs Other Gaming Services
PlayStation Plus is the largest gaming subscription service at about 51.6 million as of Q1 2025. Xbox Game Pass last confirmed 34 million in February 2024, with 2026 estimates near 35 to 37 million. Nintendo Switch Online sits at 32 to 34 million, leaving EA Play fourth at about 12 million.
Together the four services hold more than 120 million paid memberships. Xbox Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Ball said in June 2026 that Game Pass shed millions of subscribers within months of its October 2025 price hike.
| Service | Subscribers | Period |
|---|---|---|
| PlayStation Plus | ~51.6 million | Q1 2025 |
| Xbox Game Pass | ~35–37 million (est.) | Early 2026 |
| Nintendo Switch Online | 32–34 million | Sept 2025 |
| EA Play | ~12 million | 2025 |
Source: Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo reports via Quantumrun; SQ Magazine
How Much Does EA Play Cost?
EA Play costs $5.99 a month or $39.99 a year, the cheapest publisher-owned gaming subscription in 2026. EA Play Pro, a PC-only tier, costs $16.99 a month or $119.99 a year and adds day-one access to full premium editions of new EA PC releases.
For players who buy two or three EA Sports titles a year at $70 or more, Pro can undercut per-game pricing. Pro subscribers got full EA Sports FC 26 access on September 19, 2025, a week ahead of the standard edition; the same franchise drives most of EA Play’s sports catalog, tracked in detail in EA Sports FC 26’s player numbers.
| Tier | Monthly | Annual | Key benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| EA Play | $5.99 | $39.99 | Play List access, 10-hour trials, 10% discount |
| EA Play Pro (PC) | $16.99 | $119.99 | Day-one premium editions of new EA games |
Source: EA.com
EA Play Revenue and Live Services
EA Play is a small line inside EA’s revenue mix. Live services and other revenue reached $5.476 billion in fiscal 2024, about 75% of the company’s $7.298 billion total, and stayed near $5.46 billion in fiscal 2025 as EA’s largest segment.
The subscription works as an acquisition and retention tool rather than a primary earner. A $5.99 monthly fee does not match the margin of a $70 sports title or Ultimate Team purchases, so EA Play mainly pulls players into the ecosystem where catalog spending happens.
| Metric | Figure | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Total net revenue | $7.30 billion | FY2024 |
| Live services revenue | $5.48 billion (75%) | FY2024 |
| Full game revenue | $1.82 billion (25%) | FY2024 |
| Live services revenue | ~$5.46 billion | FY2025 |
Source: EA Form 8-K SEC filing; Statista
What Games Drive EA Play Subscribers?
EA Sports FC anchors the service. FC 25 ranked as the top-selling PC and console game across Europe for the first seven months of 2025, and a January 16, 2025 patch brought back more than 2 million lapsed Ultimate Team players.
EA Sports College Football 25 became the best-selling sports game in US history during its first year after a decade-plus absence. Apex Legends passed $3.4 billion in lifetime bookings through March 2024 but flagged as a roughly 5-point drag on fiscal 2026 live services, a decline traced in Apex Legends’ active player base.
| Metric | Figure | Period |
|---|---|---|
| EA Sports players | 265 million | Sept 2024 |
| Total playtime, all EA titles | 11 billion hours | 2024 |
| Apex Legends lifetime bookings | $3.4 billion | Through Mar 2024 |
| College Football 25 | Best-selling US sports game in history | FY2025 |
Source: Icon Era citing EA financial disclosures
Gaming Subscription Market Size and Growth
The global gaming subscription market reached $14.3 billion in 2025, up 24% from $11.53 billion in 2024. Retention across major services hit 81% in 2025, the highest on record, and Asia-Pacific accounted for 41.7% of revenue.
Analysts project 9% to 13% annual growth through the end of the decade. PC subscription demand also shifts with storefront dynamics, covered in the Steam and Epic market split and in Steam concurrent player data.
| Metric | Figure | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Global gaming subscription market | $11.53 billion | 2024 |
| Global gaming subscription market | $14.3 billion (+24%) | 2025 |
| Combined paid memberships | 120+ million | 2025 |
| Retention rate | 81% | 2025 |
Source: Quantumrun
FAQ
How many EA Play subscribers are there?
EA Play has about 12 million users as of 2025. EA last named a specific figure, around 13 million active players, in February 2021 and has not released an official count since.
How much does EA Play cost in 2026?
EA Play costs $5.99 a month or $39.99 a year. EA Play Pro, a PC-only tier with day-one access to new EA games, costs $16.99 a month or $119.99 a year.
Is EA Play bigger than Xbox Game Pass?
No. Xbox Game Pass is estimated at 35 to 37 million in early 2026, while EA Play sits at about 12 million. EA Play is the smallest of the four major gaming subscription services.
How much revenue does EA make from live services?
EA’s live services generated $5.476 billion in fiscal 2024, about 75% of total revenue, and stayed near $5.46 billion in fiscal 2025. It is EA’s largest revenue segment, led by Ultimate Team.
What games are included with EA Play?
EA Play includes EA Sports FC, Madden NFL, Battlefield, The Sims, Apex Legends, and F1 titles, plus 10-hour trials of select new releases and a 10% discount on EA digital purchases.
https://www.ea.com/ea-play
https://www.statista.com/topics/7545/electronic-arts-ea/
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/ea-play-now-has-13-million-players-across-all-platforms
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1276218/us-ea-play-subscription-rate-type/
