Gamers of all generations and platforms alike have come together for the return of the iconic college football game EA Sports College Football 25, the first release in the franchise in 11 years.

The game was put on pause amidst lawsuits surrounding the game recreating players in the game, but avoiding using their real names in order to not violate NCAA amateurism rules, as players were not allowed to be compensated for their own image.

But in the wake of Name, Image and Likeness in recent years, EA Sports was able to not just bring the game back, but also compensate those players for a game that officially released Friday and was available as early as Monday for deluxe edition purchasers.

Out of the eight current NCAA Division I FBS players from the area, six of them can be found in the game. Keagan Trost, a 2019 Kankakee graduate, is the highest-rated local player. The Wake Forest left tackle is a 76 overall (1-99 scale) as a redshirt senior transfer from Indiana State.

A pair of Illinois offensive linemen on the game are also local products. Redshirt junior right tackle Josh Gesky, a returning All-Big Ten honorable mention and 2021 Manteno graduate, clocks in at a 75 overall for the Fighting Illini. Redshirt sophomore left guard Clayton Leonard, a 2022 Iroquois West graduate, has a 67 overall rating.

Elsewhere in the trenches, 2024 Kankakee graduate and current Georgia Bulldogs freshman Marques Easley is a right guard on the game, given a 73 ranking. His former Kankakee teammate, 2023 Kays graduate and Wyoming redshirt freshman cornerback Naz Hill, is a 69 overall.

Jaydon Wright, a 2024 Bishop McNamara graduate and freshman running back at Minnesota, is a 65 overall.

Michigan sophomore cornerback Jyaire Hill, who has redshirt eligibility to compete as a redshirt freshman this fall, and a 2023 Kankakee graduate, is not currently in the game. Neither is Iowa redshirt freshman offensive lineman Cannon Leonard, a 2023 Iroquois West graduate.

All NCAA FBS players were given the option to opt in to allow EA Sports to use their name, image and likeness in the game, in exchange for $600 and a copy of the game, which retails for $70 at the standard level.

Area towns Bradley and Manteno are also represented in the game. In the game's Dynasty mode, which allows players to take control as a coach at any FBS school, creates computer generated prospects from the two towns. They're also available to select as hometowns for players in the Road to Glory mode, where players create a character to enter a program as a freshman and play a college career.

The game is currently available on PlayStation 5 and XBox Series' S and X.