EA FC 24 files have hinted that Mason Greenwood could return in the upcoming video game, pending Manchester United’s decision to keep the striker or not after an internal investigation.
Greenwood hasn’t played a single minute of professional football after serious allegations were leveled at the player in January 2022, including attempted rape, engaging in controlling behavior, and assault.
He was suspended by the club as the case was taken to court, but the charges were dropped in February 2023 – as reported by the BBC.
The Crown Prosecution service said: “In this case a combination of the withdrawal of key witnesses and new material that came to light meant there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction. In these circumstances, we are under a duty to stop the case.”
On August 16, Manchester United put out a statement that they had carried out an internal investigation into the allegations. The club says the investigation included evidence not in the public domain.
The statement was a response to a report in The Athletic, which said United’s CEO Richard Arnold had already communicated internally that the player would be reintegrated into the squad, in the midst of public campaigns for the player not to play for them again.
Manchester United’s public statement said in response: “Contrary to media speculation, that decision has not yet been made and is currently the subject of intensive internal deliberation. Responsibility ultimately rests with the Chief Executive Officer.”
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
Club statement.
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 16, 2023
Two days later, ReFIFA reported that Mason Greenwood’s scanned face and ID has been added back into the EA FC 24 database.
The 21-year-old was removed from FIFA 22 after photos/videos from the alleged victim circulated online.
He did not feature at all in FIFA 23.
More info: • His face scan has been added to the Head Model database for EAFC 24 (ID #246147) • This may be so that he can be reintroduced by EA if he comes back to football, but does not mean he will be in the game at launch[via @_ReFIFA]
— EAFC 24 News (@FUT24News) August 18, 2023
Will Mason Greenwood be in EA FC 24?
Mason Greenwood’s ID and star head has reportedly been found in the game files of EA FC, which means he is in the database. As EA FC 24 News reports, this doesn’t guarantee that Greenwood will feature in the video game for launch.
Electronic Arts has not yet responded to the story and we will be reaching out for comment regarding the situation.
