Jude Bellingham may not have sealed the perfect season by lifting the Euro 2024 trophy with England, but he does at least have the small consolation of becoming EA FC’s (or FIFA’s) youngest-ever cover star at the age of just 21. EA FC 25 will be released on September 27th, 2024, or a week early on September 20th if you purchase early access. But what’s new this time around?
For annual sports releases, offering an enticing suite of tweaks and additions is a must to keep things feeling fresh, and with a new 5v5 mode, a completely overhauled approach to tactics, and those all-important Ultimate Team adjustments in the mix, FC 25 has a few tricks up its sleeve. So, without further ado, here are 71 changes that actually make a difference in EA FC 25.
Rush
1. Rush is a brand-new 5v5 mode that is included in all formats of FC 25, including PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch versions. It isn’t a standalone offering but is playable across four modes - Kick Off, Ultimate Team, Clubs, and Career Mode.
2. Rush’s introduction comes at the expense of Volta, which will not be returning this year as a standalone mode but will appear in kick-off as a 3v3 match option.
3. Matches last seven minutes in total, with a further two minutes and 20 seconds of golden goal played in the scores are level. If after that things are still tied, a penalty shootout will settle it.
4. While being a five-a-side mode, Rush is actually built with four players in mind, with the goalkeeper being AI-controlled.
5. There are no fixed positions in Rush, meaning it will be up to you and your teammates to take responsibility and not just all run forward at once.
6. Unlike Volta, Rush utilises the same core gameplay as standard 11v11 matches but comes with its own subset of rules:
- Kick-offs have been reinvented so that each team runs towards the centre circle as the ball is launched into play. Think of it a little like the beginning of a game of Rocket League.
- There are offsides in Rush, but only once you step inside the final third of the pitch, as opposed to the standard halfway line cutoff point.
- There are no red cards in Rush, but instead blue cards are brandished for serious offenses, resulting in a one minute sin bin for that player. This time is reduced by 15 seconds for each opponent scored within that time frame. Two yellow cards result in a blue.
- Penalties are completely different. Taken from the “final third line”, they’re essentially a one-on-one opportunity with the keeper – something not too dissimilar to what we see in hockey.
7. All Rush matches take place in the custom-built Rush Stadium, built in collaboration with Nike, and shaped like the brand’s line of Mercurial football boots. It’s futuristic in its design, and can even display environmental effects like colourful drone shows.
FC IQ
8. FC IQ is a complete overhaul of the tactics system in EA FC and it aims to give even greater flexibility to players.
9. FC 25 will launch with 31 player roles with an expectation of growing to over 50 during the course of the season. These roles are selected after you’ve placed a player in a position in your formation.
10. Three-to-five roles exist for each position. For example, a central attacking midfielder (CAM) can be picked between shadow striker, playmaker, and others. These directly affect both their offensive and defensive positioning on the pitch and the runs they’ll make off the ball.
11. The centre forward (CF) and wing-back (LWB and RWB) positions have been removed entirely from the game.
12. Wing backs can still be manufactured, however, by selecting the attacking wing-back option when choosing your left or right back’s role.
13. Through extensive Opta data research, each player has been assigned optimal roles that they will perform better when assigned. The better their familiarity with a role, the better their work rate.
14. As a result, the old attacking and defending work rate stats have been removed for FC 25.
15. Some elite players even have roles they’ve mastered, such as Vinicius Jr. cutting in from the left wing. As a result, he gets a “role plus” icon when positioned as an inside forward at LW.
16. Within each role, you can also choose the focus of that player’s movement, whether it be attacking, roaming, etc.
17. FC IQ as a whole allows for more experimenting with formations, with player roles allowing for asymmetric formations to exist and for overloads of certain wings to be created. The half-wing role for central midfielders combined with both a winger and fullback is a prime example of this.
18. For those not wanting to get lost too deeply in the world of FC IQ, preset tactics exist for those wishing to emulate the likes of Klopp’s gegenpress or Guardiola’s tiki-taka styles.
19. Up to five fully custom tactics can be created and switched between on the fly during matches. These can also be shared with other players online via uniquely generated cross-platform codes.
20. A new commentary system dynamically responds to tactical shifts being made during the match.
Gameplay
21. In FC 25 Hypermotion technology now allows for authentic representation of running styles, with 1,800 players now moving as accurately as possible. In 24, the upper bodies were accurate, but now the lower bodies are too.
22. Six PlayStyles are now available for goalkeepers. These include footwork, rush out, deflector, cross claimer, far throw and far reach.
23. A new professional foul button input allows you to cynically take out your opponent by dragging them down. This results in an automatic yellow card.
24. Players will now not automatically find an opponent with blindly played 180-degree passes, unless their passing stats are ridiculously high.
25. Five new skills moves are available to tease your opponent with. These are the toe drag step-over, the step-over ball, the heel nutmeg, the drag turn, and the big fade.
26. More contextual animations can be seen involving goalposts and advertising hoardings, some of which look extremely painful. If the name Phil Babb means anything to you, you’ll know exactly what I mean.
27. New weather effects can affect the way you play, such as very high winds that make the ball bend a significant amount and a slippery pitch that makes your players fall over. These are available in offline play only as a matter of fairness.
28. You can now celebrate with official club mascots after scoring a goal in a number of choreographed routines. Who doesn’t want to see Heung-Min Son doing Richarlison’s El Pombo dance with Chirpy the Spurs cockerel?
Ultimate Team
29. In Ultimate Team, Rush is a social space that’s a break from the more competitive modes within it. You’ll bring one of your player cards into the match with them to play as and there can’t be any duplicates between you and your teammates.
30. There will be Rush squad requirements that change regularly, such as only being able to use La Liga players.
31. Completing Rush matches in FUT will earn you Rush Points, which can be used to complete objectives and earn rewards.
32. FC IQ aims to shake up the FUT meta on a regular basis. The sheer amount of options available, plus the steady introduction of new player roles, are contributing factors towards this.
33. Team of the Week cards can give players new player roles depending on how they performed in the game that earned them the card. For example, Bellingham could specialise in a playmaker role if he played a bit deeper in midfield that week.
34. Speaking of cards, players can now store up to 100 untradeable duplicates for use in SBCs.
35. A new upgrading system with more open requirements aims to make player evolutions more attainable, meaning you’ll be able to upgrade your favourite players more often.
36. More customisation options are also being provided for evolution cards, meaning you can change their colour, choose sound effects, and add dynamic animated effects such as fireworks.
37. Matchmaking systems between rivals and friendlies have now been decoupled, meaning that friendlies should no longer feel as competitive, and hopefully, more relaxed.
38. A points-based system for weekly rewards is being added to rivals. In standard football rules, you’ll gain three points for a win and one for a draw, meaning a draw no longer feels like a complete waste of time.
39. Relegations are being introduced at the top end of divisions.
40. Increased rewards distribution means that players of a higher skill level will gain even greater rewards at the top levels of rivals.
41. A new stadium has been created for Ultimate Team in FC 25 with an expanded away team section allowing you to show off in someone else’s arena a bit more obviously.
42. The amount of customisation items has been decreased, meaning that you’ll be wading through fewer menus and they’ll have a greater impact when you swap them in and out.
43. The FUT and Clubs season passes are now being combined into one overarching pass that you’ll earn progress in no matter which mode you spend more time in. You’ll no longer have to prioritise playing one mode more than the other just to earn rewards.
Clubs
44. Relegation is back. In FC 25, losing enough matches will trigger a one-off relegation battle where you'll need to avoid a loss to survive the drop.
45. Rush is a key component of Clubs in FC 25 as you aim to climb the Rush ranks with your team. It’s also great if you’re like me and struggle to find more than three friends to play with at any time!
46. There are also Rush player ranks to climb up individually in order to gain greater rewards. You’ll gain points by winning matches, but also through goals, assists, etc.
47. The club manager now has the power to allocate budget toward facility cards that offer unique gameplay attribute boosts.
48. Defining your club identity on the pitch with a facility budget that grows as your club reputation improves facilities, and unlocks the power of club reputation, providing a tangible benefit for building long-term success with your club.
49. Each of the 20 to 30 facility cards comes with a one-star, two-star, or three-star variant each providing a unique attribute benefit to impact all the human members of the club and not the AI.
50. The options available to the club manager add a whole new level of importance to that manager's role within the club. Do you spend your budget on a two-star shooting coach and some finishing nets to increase the finishing of all your club mates? Or maybe you opt for a three-star weight room to maximize everyone's strength.
51. A dynamic clubhouse screen, complete with your team's colours and crest, now shows you and your teammates appear in the changing room as you arrive online for your next match.
52. You’ll be able to customise your avatar in far greater detail than ever before, thanks to EA Sport Cranium, new facial sculpting tech that allows for much more variety in player models.
Career Mode
53. Women’s teams are available to manage for the first time ever in career mode. Five major leagues are included, as well as the Women’s Champions League. Both men's and women's clubs can be managed within a single career mode save.
54. Live Start Points will allow you to start a career save from a real-life point in the upcoming season. For example, taking charge of a struggling, injury-hit Chelsea at Christmas and helping them avoid the drop through the rest of the season.
55. Live Start Points can be started in 11 of the top leagues in football and also take in the state of six major cup competitions.
56. Players can now be trained to gain familiarity with certain roles brought in with FC IQ. You can teach Haaland the movement skills of a false nine, for example, if you want him to fit more naturally into Pep’s Man City system.
57. Over 90 countries have been added to scouting, meaning over 160 nations can now be looked at for the next big talent.
58. Youth players now look more like men (or boys) of their age and will grow older over time, get taller, and gain facial hair, etc.
59. You can now play matches with your youth development players, but only in the Rush mode against other youth teams. These are tournaments that happen every two months and consist of three matches each.
60. You can choose to play with these youth players at their current overall rating or their projected full potential, just to see what they might be like 10 years down the road.
61. Social media transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has made his way into the in-game social feed to announce signings made in career mode. Get ready to be absolutely sick of seeing the words “Here we go”.
62. You can now start a player career save as one of a few select Icons. At launch, you can choose from Andrea Pirlo, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Theirry Henry, and Kelly Smith. Those who pre-order will also gain access to Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham, and Ronaldo (the better, Brazilian one). More Icons will be delivered to career mode throughout the season and you can play with them at any club of your choosing. Eusebio at Grimsby Town is no longer the dream it may once have been.
63. There are three new ways to start a player career, thanks to origin stories. These backstories start you at different points in a player’s life and include the pressures of being the child of a legend, someone bursting onto the scene from the streets, and a player coming back from a serious injury.
Presentation
64. There’s more action than ever on the touchline as sideline moments are cut to during the match broadcast. These can be extended celebrations, or perhaps Mikel Arteta and his subs getting annoyed at yet another act of perceived injustice.
65. For the first time ever, FC 25 will offer graphics mode options that can be switched between, but both offer 60fps.
66. The default is Enhanced Visuals mode offers enhanced lighting, including ray tracing, and graphic details, and will upscale to 4K resolution.
67. Favour Resolution mode uses the standard lighting setup, but renders at native 4K.
68. Time will progress throughout the course of a match. You may start a game as the sun is setting, but end it under a pitch-black sky.
69. More POV angles will be built into the broadcast this time around. These short cutscenes may play before corners, penalties, and kick-offs.
70. Sizzle montages remain before games, but now you have the option to opt in and watch a full match intro if you really want to build the atmosphere before a big game.
71. The previously mentioned EA Sports Cranium tech has allowed generic faces to mostly become a thing of the past. Now players who haven’t had an official scan put into the game still look a little like their real-life counterparts.
And those are 71 exciting things coming to EA FC 25. We’ll have plenty more about the beautiful game coming to IGN over the next few months.
Simon Cardy will watch football endlessly, even if it only brings him pain. Follow him on Twitter at @CardySimon.
