The art of video game commentary explained by EA Sports FC and FIFA legend

Martin Macdonald

• 19 Feb 2026 08:01 CST
• 5 min read

Nieuws

Long gone are the days of Barry Davies and Trevor Brooking providing quips on commentary for 1995's Actua Soccer - the first video game in history to feature running commentary over matches.

Nowadays, football video games are itching towards the quality of real-life commentary not only due to the advances in technology, but the work that commentators are willing to put in.

Whether it be Pro Evolution Soccer, FIFA, or now EA Sports FC, manufacturers have strived for realism as much as possible. And, what was once a week's worth of work has suddenly became a a full-on part-time job for commentators, such as Guy Mowbray and Sue Smith on EA Sports FC 26.

"It constantly needs updating - with new names for all the new players, plus new terminology and new features in the game," Match of the Day stalwart Mowbray tells BBC Sport.

"It's an ever-evolving process and it's exciting to be part of it because it never stands still.

"The first video game I did the commentary for was the official Champions League game for the PlayStation in 2002. I went down to Oxfordshire to record it, and it was very intensive but in three full days I did the entire game.

Always there for their club, meet the SuperFans.

The Club is Yours. Play #FC26 now: https://t.co/gRcMrFO08R pic.twitter.com/uX0vhdZROn

— EA SPORTS FC (@EASPORTSFC) January 26, 2026

"Now things are very different. Either recording or doing prep, it is part of my weekly routine - pretty much every week from November all the way through to the start of July. We might have a couple of months where we are not doing anything on it before the next edition comes out, then it starts again.

"It takes so long because for every single facet of the game that you could think of, we have to cover every scenario. It is so in-depth because it has got to feel and sound real - the whole point of the game is its authenticity."

Mowbray and Smith worked on co-comms for EA Sports 24 for the first time together - but worked started on that well over a year previous to its release.

Remarkably, it's all done remotely.

"It's amazing how it all comes together with us being so far apart," Smith said.

"It's great fun when you do them but the sessions can be quite intense, lasting over four or five hours, and our voices have to be perfect.

"There have been times where we have come in and started recording but been told our voice isn't quite right, and it doesn't sound the same as it did last time.

"That makes sense, because it has got to sound exactly right within the game. If there is any sort of variation, it would probably sound quite odd, so I have never looked after my voice as much in my entire life!

"I eat a lot of green apples, which are really good for it, and also drink a lot of honey, ginger and lemon teas - anything like that. I'd never thought of it before, when I started doing co-comms for radio and TV, but when I am doing FC it is so precise that you have to make sure everything is right."

Barry Davies - a trailblazer

Davies was the voice of a generation for football fans and many were delighted when it was confirmed that he would be voicing Actua Soccer in 1995. Indeed, the man himself made sure that he added elements of realism such as recording different intonations of a player's name for different occasions.

"The company behind Actua Software got in touch with my agent," he told the BBC in 2020.

"I had really no conception of what they wanted to do, or very little anyway. Then I went to see them and I actually changed the way they wanted to do it.

"I told them you cannot use the same way of identifying the player every time he touches the ball - it has got to be at different levels depending where he is on the pitch, as I would do when commentating normally.

⚽ Gabriel Batistuta. Fiorentina vs Juventus. Actua Soccer 3. pic.twitter.com/5e0qUKIDef

— This Is Football Gaming ⚽🎮 (@T_I_F_G) April 28, 2025

"So I gave them about five different versions of every player's name, changing the emphasis each time. That probably gave them more work to do but, as a result, it sounded more realistic in my opinion."

Davies had an easier job than Mowbray, as the former had to record names for around 704 players across 32 national teams. The latter, meanwhile, has to make recordings for over 20,000 players, though he is given help by Artificial Intelligence.

"AI has long been part of our development pipeline - from animation to gameplay systems - and continues to support our teams in making better, more responsive football experiences," EA said.

"But when it comes to commentary and content, it's always a collaboration with our talent - not a replacement."

EA Sports FC 26 was released in September of 2025 and within the next month it had sold 12 million copies worldwide.

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