You typically need an original physical disc to technically comply with licensing, as digital keys are no longer officially distributed.
is currently considered abandonware ; it is no longer sold on official digital storefronts like Steam or the EA App . While there is no official "free download" from Electronic Arts , the community has developed workarounds to keep the game playable. Current Availability and Status
EA shut down the official master servers in 2014 following the closure of GameSpy .
Within the hub's help/settings tab, install OpenSpy to enable the in-game server browser. Key Features and Gameplay