Peter Moore announced on stage at E3 that EA Sports will be launching a new franchise next year to rival THQ’s UFC games when it steps into the cage with EA Sports MMA. No details were given other than the game is well into its development cycle at EA Tiburon.

EA claim the game will feature the most authentic, intense and broad mixed martial arts experience to date complete with a vast array of top fighters and fighting styles from around the world.

“With Fight Night Round 4 set to deliver a knockout with industry-leading visuals and genre-defining gameplay later this month, I couldn’t be more excited to announce the expansion of our combat sports strategy with EA Sports MMA coming in 2010,” said EA Sports President Peter Moore. “Fans have been begging EA Sports to get into the cage, and EA Sports MMA will put them in control of the sport’s unique combat experience while finally, in an immersive interactive experience, capturing the raw intensity that has made mixed martial arts one of the fastest growing sports in the world. We’re ready for the fight.”

The EA Tiburon studio carries a successful legacy, and is a leader in innovation, within sports video games.  In August of 2008, EA Tiburon was named by GamePro Magazine as one of the top eight most powerful studios in the entire gaming industry.  It is home to highly touted franchises, such as Madden NFL, NCAA Football and Tiger Woods PGA Tour.

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