Less than two years after ending its 15-year relationship with Tiger Woods, EA Sports yesterday announced that Rory McIlroy "will become the new name and face of its next series of golf games," according to Luke Kerr-Dineen of GOLF DIGEST. The game -- "Rory McIlroy PGA Tour" -- will be EA Sports' first since '13 and "is expected to be released in early June." EA hopes to "fill the void" created by Woods' absence by "offering users more diverse playing options, and with Rory as its new figurehead, re-energize a franchise that will hopefully draw a new audience." McIlroy said, "The courses are absolutely gorgeous, and looking at screenshots from the game you think someone just took a photo of the actual holes" (GOLFDIGEST.com, 3/16). GOLFCHANNEL.com's Nick Menta noted McIlroy has "been a playable character in the last two versions of the game and appeared on its European cover" alongside Woods and late Golf HOFer Seve Ballesteros in "Tiger Woods PGA Tour '14." EA said that Golf Channel broadcasters Rich Lerner and Frank Nobilo "will provide the game's commentary track" (GOLFCHANNEL.com, 3/16). GOLF.com's Josh Berhow noted the game will be EA Sports' "first built using the Frostbite engine." Frostbite will "eliminate load times between holes, which was something that slowed the game in past years" (GOLF.com, 3/16).
