Electronic Arts (EA) recently announced that they will be discontinuing online services for 12 of their games by December 31, 2020. The games affected are: Battlefield 3, Battlefield 4, Battlefield Hardline, Bejeweled 2, Bejeweled 3, FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25, NBA Live 15, Need for Speed Rivals, Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 1, SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition, and The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection.

This decision was made in order to focus on newer titles and to ensure that players have the best possible gaming experience. EA stated that they will be providing refunds to players who purchased any of the affected games after October 18th, 2019. Players can also receive a full refund for any in-game purchases made within the last six months.

The discontinuation of online services means that players will no longer be able to access online features such as leaderboards, multiplayer modes, and in-game stores. However, the single-player campaigns will still be playable. EA has also stated that they will be providing an additional three months of online services for Battlefield 4 and Need for Speed Rivals.

It is important to note that this decision does not affect the availability of the affected games on digital stores such as Steam and Origin. Players can continue to purchase and download these titles for offline play.

Although this news may be disappointing for some players, it is important to remember that EA is making this decision in order to focus on newer titles and provide a better gaming experience for all players. EA has also stated that they are committed to providing refunds for any affected players.