US Soccer fans will see a familiar face on the cover of FIFA 15 as reports indicated that Clint Dempsey will be on EA Sports' video game alongside Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi.
EA Sports announced that the US national team captain will be on the cover of FIFA 15 in the North American market. The developer unveiled two different covers with the Xbox One cover showing Dempsey sporting an Xbox-sponsored Seattle Sounders uniform. The PlayStation 4 edition has Dempsey wearing the US men's team jersey.
"Clint Dempsey is a world class athlete that embodies the heart and soul of the sport," Stuart Lang, EA Sports vice president of North American marketing, said via NBC Sports. "He is the perfect ambassador for FIFA 15, a game that's all about bringing the emotion and intensity of the sport to life."
Dempsey, who made noise for USA in the recently-concluded 2014 FIFA World Cup, said that being lined up with great players who made it into the cover of the popular video game is a great honor for him. The 31-year-old forward also recognized the video game franchise's role in the growing popularity of soccer in the United States.
"It's an amazing opportunity in my career to be on the cover for FIFA 15, a game that has played a big role in growing the popularity of the sport in America," Dempsey said. "To join the class of other elite athletes who have appeared on previous covers is very humbling and I am extremely grateful for this honor."
Aside from the expected visual improvements brought by the more powerful next-generation consoles, EA Sports announced that FIFA 15 will have a much-improved gameplay such as making the players more aware of in-game situations.
"Your teammates and opponents now recognize what's happening in the match and will adjust their tactics just like real players. Park the Bus, In The Mixer, and Time Wasting are some of the Team Tactics you'll come up against in FIFA 15," FIFA said in a statement.
EA Sports will release the highly-anticipated game for PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360, and PC on September 23 in North America. It will come out on September 25 in Europe and on September 26 in the UK.
