EA SPORTS FC 25 Limited Hands-On Preview – Do It All For The Club!

It’s that time of year again when EA SPORTS is getting ready to drop their yearly football (soccer) game. Over the years, it can be hard to see improvement or progress in the quality of the game in a yearly release, but this year, the fine folks at EA Vancouver are aiming to do just that with a number of meaningful updates, new game modes and quality-of-life features.

We were able to take part in a very limited hands-on preview build of one of the new game modes as well as a significant video presentation showcasing some of the new content available when EA SPORTS FC 25 releases on early access on September 20th and full release on September 27th 2024 .

The first thing we were shown in the video presentation was a brand new game mode called ‘Rush.’ Rush is a 5-a-side drop-in game where you and three of your friends, or three strangers if your friends aren’t football enthusiasts (the uncultured swine) and one AI-controlled goalkeeper, play against a similarly populated team. The game takes place on a smaller pitch, emphasizing more time on the ball, more wide-open gameplay and encouraging a more social aspect of the game.

Rush will be incorporated into almost every game mode in EA SPORTS FC 25 , including Ultimate Team, Clubs, KickOff, and Career Manager. Because of the inclusion of Rush in the game, EA has eliminated the Volta game mode, which focused primarily on building your own player through street football and futsal and playing both single-player and multiplayer.

Rush was one of the game modes I was able to try out hands-on, and it gave me similar vibes to NHL 24 ‘s HUT (Hockey Ultimate Team) Rush game mode, where you played on a team of three players against three AI players on a smaller rink for rewards. I was given the choice of playing using one of four men’s teams for Rush and there was no way I was going to use Manchester City or Liverpool (I support Manchester United and want to keep my hands clean), so I chose to play two games, one using Real Madrid and the other using Atletico Madrid.

“In addition, new Playstyles, including 6 new Goalkeeper Playstyles, are on the way in EA SPORTS FC 25 .”

One thing that was clear in Rush was that you aren’t really selecting players to play a position, as the game is very free-flowing, and players can be found all over the smaller pitch. In fact, when I used Real Madrid, my four players consisted of Rodrygo, Vini Jr., Modric, and Bellingham, and not a defender to be found to protect my goalkeeper, Courtois. Despite the lack of defending player, I never found myself in an out-of-position moment where I needed to scramble to get bodies back. The gameplay flowed nicely, with some noticeable differences in feel over FC 24 , but I’ll give more info on that in a moment.

FC IQ is the latest innovation from EA in regard to on-field AI decisions and player positioning. Essentially, FC IQ is a highly innovative tactics system that gives the player unprecedented control over how their team will line up, decisions made off the ball, as well as dynamic changes to tactics as the game goes on through substitutions, etc. D-Pad tactics have been overhauled and are easier to use now than ever. D-Pad tactics work in tandem with your preset customs tactics and show you exactly how it will affect your team.

For example, in FC 24 , when I selected the D-Pad tactics to change from one custom preset to another, I had to remember exactly what formation it would change me to and how that plays. Now, in EA SPORTS FC 25 , the D-Pad tactics show you exactly what formation your team will use, which is a huge quality-of-life feature that can improve your play in about as much time as it takes to change the tactic itself. New broadcast announcements match up with your in-game changes to let you know that the change was noticed and is taking effect.

Player Roles are a brand new feature in EA SPORTS FC 25 , and they work as the next level to Playstyles that were introduced last year. More than 50 roles have been added, guiding the way that every player in the game thinks and every action they take on the pitch. These new Roles give the player a deeper level of insight to the players they are selecting, which allows them to better put together a cohesive team that plays to their strengths.

In addition, new Playstyles, including 6 new Goalkeeper Playstyles, are on the way in EA SPORTS FC 25 . Playstyles such as Deflector, Rush Out, Far Reach, and more can help your goalkeeper play better and make a significant difference when choosing between different goalkeepers for your team.

Career Mode has seen a significant number of updates in EA SPORTS FC 25 , with the inclusion of Women’s Career Mode at both the manager AND player level. Players choosing to do a Women’s manager or player career will be able to choose from any of the top five Women’s leagues in the world: Barclays Women’s Super League (England), the D1 Arkema (France), the National Women’s Soccer League (USA), the Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga (Germany), and Liga F (Spain). Both Men’s and Women’s managers will be able to move between a men’s team and a women’s team interchangeably, giving them the chance to see all aspects of world football.

Live Start Points are also new this year. This is a feature in Career Mode where you can play out specific IRL storylines as they happen. Career Mode will receive live updates to add a bit of spice to the game mode. You might be able to take over a club after a managerial change or fight off a relegation battle as it happens.

One of the most exciting updates for me after playing way too much Ultimate Team altogether last year is the frequency and leniency of Evolutions. Evolutions are going to be a bit more frequent, and a bit more lenient in the requirements to complete them. This means that you’ll get more chances to evolve and level up your favourite player(s) rather than save them for the one Evo that will take them to the next level. This happened to me specifically in last year’s game with my club hero: Fran Kirby. I waited and waited and waited to get her the right Evo, and it never came, as her card stats were off by one point on more than one occasion.

“…I remain cautiously optimistic about how good EA SPORTS FC 25 could be.”

There is a lot to take in about EA SPORTS FC 25 , with much of it seemingly in response to community suggestions, which is fantastic to see. We will have to see how the game is supported in the live service aspect as the game cycle goes on or what patches need to be made to certain mechanics, but as for right now, I remain cautiously optimistic about how good EA SPORTS FC 25 could be.

EA SPORTS FC 25 will be available to play on September 27, 2024, with early access through the Ultimate Edition beginning September 20, 2024. Pre-orders are now available for EA SPORTS FC 25 , which will launch on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch.