“Every EA event is a love letter to fans,” Monica Dinsmore on connecting with players worldwide

Monica Dinsmore is a powerful example of a strong woman and an empowered leader who has helped shape the esports industry. After many years deeply connected to the esports world, she is now on a mission to bring greater creativity and innovation to Electronic Arts’ competitive titles.

In an exclusive interview with esports.gg during DreamHack Atlanta 2025, EA’s Head of Esports reflected on her career, the challenges she has faced along her journey, and her vision for bringing the company’s esports titles to audiences around the world.

The DreamHack Atlanta 2025 event opened the new season with two pivotal moments: the FC Pro Open LCQ and the FC Pro Open Global Qualifier. For Monica Dinsmore, this makes total sense, as Atlanta "is a city rooted in sports culture."

"There’s a lot of overlap between traditional sports fans and those who play these games, and, by extension, esports. It’s really exciting to see that connection grow," Monica added. "We recently hosted a fantastic event with the E-Premier League just down the road, and it was great to see so many football fans come out and take part. Based on that energy, we knew we’d see some strong results here in Atlanta."

There is no information available about a possible return of EA Sports titles to DreamHack Atlanta 2026 yet. Nevertheless, the FC Pro 26 Open Playoffs kick off on Jan. 26, and the best four players will qualify for the World Championship.

The first College Football was released back in 1993, with multiple generations coming after it until 2014. However, the series was discontinued after 2014 primarily due to legal issues surrounding the use of college athletes' likenesses without compensation.

"People have been waiting ten years for college football to make its return, and it’s come back in a big way. It’s amazing to see players competing at such a high level that it inspires us to organize events around them and showcase their talent at places like DreamHack," Monica explained.

Balancing this nostalgia from the older fans with the competitiveness of modern times might be a hard task, but Monica Dinsmore believes EA did a great job in that field. "I think EA has done an incredible job collaborating in new and innovative ways with player IP, bringing an authentic representation of those players into the game. It really adds a modern twist to that classic, old-school sense of fandom."

"We’ve done some amazing activations with partners like USAA, for example, hosting an Army-Navy competition, and last year we teamed up with Nissan for an event at the Heisman House. It’s been really exciting to take those classic, old-school traditions and give them a fresh twist through competitive esports tournaments.

Consistency is the key to success, and for EA, that's been the motto to face the fast-moving changes happening in the esports industry. "We’ve been pretty consistent. I think it’s fair to say the industry went through an “esports winter,” and now we’re in a period of adjustment. Through it all, EA has taken a slow and steady approach. There wasn’t any overinvestment, and we haven’t had to make major pivots," Monica Disnmore explained.

EA’s focus has always been on its couch-to-champion programs. These initiatives are open to everyone, which is a unique and defining aspect of the company’s approach. They aren’t league-based. The players don’t need to be part of a team or have any formal affiliation. Anyone can pick up the game, play, and with enough skill and determination, find themselves competing on the main stage.

"One of my favorite examples is Henry, a Madden Championship winner. He started playing during COVID. He was a high school football player who couldn’t get out on the field, so he turned to Madden as a way to keep his football dreams alive. Just a couple of years later, he became a Madden millionaire," Monica said.

For her, Henry is an example to all kids and young players, showing them that they can become even greater than they ever dreamed of. "That’s what makes EA’s programs so special. They’re truly open and accessible to everyone. It’s about giving anyone the opportunity to compete, to grow, and to be part of the community we’re building."

For Monica, there is nothing more important than building a strong connection with the fans. They are the roots for every esports title. "We really make it a priority to listen to our community and build our esports programs around their feedback.”

A significant part of the new updates, bug fixes, and feature implementations has come from maintaining a constant connection with players. By being active and vocal on social media, players helped highlight issues, opening the door for problems to be identified and resolved.

For Monica, nothing is more important than listening to the community, as they are the people responsible for the success of every title, whether esports-related or not.

Accessing regional markets and incorporating cultural elements can be challenging. Certain players may struggle to reach opportunities, as some games might not have room to grow in specific regions. "We're lucky to have teams located all around the world."

One of EA’s biggest tournament successes was the Apex Legends Global Series: 2025 Championship, held in Sapporo, Japan. Taking place in February, the event became the second most-watched esports competition in Japan’s history, with viewership up more than 60% compared to the previous ALGS Championship.

"We have EA staff in Japan and across Asia who help us with culturalization and community engagement. We know how to bring the competition and understand what our fans want, but to make it a true celebration of the community, we rely on our regional teams to guide us, from choosing which creators to feature to ensuring everything resonates locally," Monica stated. She is very excited to return to Japan and work on the event.

For Monica Dinsmore, bringing these events to different regions is like a love letter to the fans. “We like to think of it as a love letter to our fans in the region every time we show up. We want to make each event truly special for them.” The ALGS Championship is returning to Japan in 2026, and the tickers are now available.

Monica Disnmore climbed all the way through the career ladder. Starting with design and business leadership, moving to relationship management and directing strategy, Monica was pretty much everywhere. She worked for BlackRock for six years, but it was a role in Riot Games that brought her to the gaming world.

She joined the company in 2014 as a Senior Development Manager. Two years later, she made a bold move from Los Angeles to the other side of the Atlantic, settling in Berlin, Germany, a big contrast to her previous home. There, Monica stepped into the role of Head of Publishing for Europe, where she led an award-winning team responsible for delivering content, marketing, brand, creative, communications, and PR for League of Legends Esports across the region.

After many years in the esports world, she joined Electronic Arts (EA) in 2021. Following four years as Senior Director, she rose to the role of Head of Esports, marking one year in that position in January 2026.

Electronic Arts was founded in 1982. Forty-three years later, new leadership is aiming to take the company even further, modernizing its approach and embracing new ideas. “We’ve started breaking down some internal silos. Traditionally, we’ve had very deep teams dedicated to a single title. Now, we’re expanding certain roles and giving people the opportunity to apply their skills across different titles,” Monica Dinsmore explained.

This shift is part of a broader strategy to inject fresh perspectives and bring teams together to create something truly unique and special.

One of EA’s greatest strengths, according to Monica, is the depth of talent and passion within the company. “For me, it’s rewarding. It’s probably not super exciting to the outside world, but I think you’ll start to see the benefits of us being able to leverage that expertise,” she added.

No one knows the future of the esports industry, but Monica believes EA is walking on the right path. "We're in such an amazing spot," she said. "We are creating educational content that resonates with a lot of people, and that's why some people love to watch esports."

While the EA's growth has been slow and steady, as Monica describes, she believes it's been consistent. Deliberate and very community-focused. For her, new opportunities like the Esports World Cup or the most recently announced, the Esports Nations Cup, can bring a lot of publicity and attention to the scene. "There are some exciting things that will happen in the future as we get smarter together. Every year is like a reset. It's a whole new world," she added.

As for the next season, Monica Dinsmore is very excited about 2026. EA has been working toward Sapporo again, and the new seasons of FC Pro Open and Madden. "There are so many opportunities for us out there. I'm like a proud mom." With all this excitement and ongoing projects, EA wants to enter 2026 better and stronger than ever.

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