While bobandjim.ca is primarily a blog that talks about real life sports and all the happenings in and around it, I, as an avid enjoyer of the yearly FC, previously known as FIFA franchise of games from EA Sports, am known to make some articles about games from time to time. Well, for the first time since September, that time has come. With less than 2 months until those with early access are able to play the next edition of EA’s prized football game franchise, we are getting many major leaks and announcements about what to expect in terms of changes this year. These changes may make the game good for the first time in 7-8 years, and make up for the cardinal sin of putting Jude Bellingham on the cover.
First of all,we need to look at the major changes to gameplay and the AI. FC 25 will include a new “FC IQ” system, which seems to me as a blanket term for a plethora of tactical changes coming to FC 25 gameplay. First off, the CF, LWB, and RWB positions will be removed, as well as formations including them, meaning the Ultimate Team favourite 4-3-2-1 formation has less than 2 months left in the game. We will also see 9 substitutes on the bench during games rather than the previous 7.
We will see the removal of the D-Pad tactics, such as Ultra Defensive/Ultra Attacking, in favour of new custom tactics that the player is able to set. We will also see the arrival of custom set pieces, finally being able to put your tall men where you need them on corners and adding more immersion to the game.
Tactics are also set to be “simplified”, with easier to read and set options, while also adding a few more custom tactics to your team. Each player will have a “role” in your team, likely based on a preset tactic you’re playing from, or a player-made custom tactic. Each player has certain roles that they play especially well, and will get stat boosts when playing in those roles, making it a challenge to assemble a team which is proficient in the roles your team has.
Tactics will also work differently in that the AI is now much smarter than in previously years, and will use it to work for and against the player. There will be “smart tactics”, in the form of ingame tactical suggestions on what your team could do better and what tactics you could change. We’ll also see AI teams adjust their tactics midgame based on how your team plays, and it’ll adjust game-by-game in career mode, but more on that later.
This game will also see the removal of the Volta mode in this game, after 5 years, in which I and most players probably touched the mode about a dozen times. It’ll be replaced by the Rush mode, a 5v5 Futsal-type mode to be included in the experience of some other game modes, which we’ll get to later.
All in all, these changes look solid, but as it always does in this game, they’ll all depend on how the changes are executed and put into the game, as I can see all this just being ignored by most of the community.
Next, let’s look at the changes to EA’s golden goose, Ultimate Team. There will be some quite major changes, such as the introduction of the previously-mentioned Rush gamemode as a new match avenue, the first one since the lacklustre addition of FUT Moments two years ago. It will be available for groups of 4 to play at a time, meaning you and 3 friends can play a 4v4 match against another group of 4 using players from your own ultimate team.
Division Rivals is also getting overhauled, and will be reintroducing the points system rather than just using wins, meaning draws aren’t a waste of time anymore. Relegation is also coming back, however it’s rumoured that it’ll only be for the players in Divisions 1 and 2. The last change coming to the game mode is legacy players coming from FC 24 will also be put into the same Division they ended 24 on, rather than starting from Div 10 again, like previous years.
Some smaller changes are coming to other parts of the Ultimate Team experience, such as some longtime requested features, such as a 100-strong duplicate storage, seen before in FIFA 18’s World Cup Ultimate Team, and the removal of contracts, meaning you can use players as many games as you want without having to annoyingly extend their contracts every few games. We’ll also see Friendlies matchmaking revamped for a more laid back experience, and the last change being a reduction in the requirements for evolutions, making more players eligible, and more evos will be available in the game, to try and make more unique players.
Let’s talk about EA’s changes to clubs now. There won’t be a wholesale revamp to clubs, but many decent quality of life changes, such as reducing the maximum height for your player, so the 6’7” with Aerial and Power Header + playstyles meta is gone, A new possibility for a third playstyle + is also included, relegation is back, and a new UI to make your clubs more interactive. The new Rush gamemode will also make an appearance here, although it’s not known how yet.
Next, Career Mode has seen some incredible changes, for both player and manager career mode. We start with changes to sliders, specific to career mode, as sliders are getting an overhaul this year. It’s yet to be seen what these sliders are, though.
Next, there are a whole bunch of new options to set before starting a manager career. We’re seeing a feature I’ve wanted for years, which sets board strictness before a career mode, from very strict, to less strict, and even an option to disable being sacked, which I’ve personally wanted for years. We’re also seeing more options for transfer restrictions, including an option for a transfer embargo.
Another interesting feature is the option of managing women’s teams in career mode, and being able to switch between the men’s and women’s teams. This will make journeyman career modes even more interesting, and giving the player potentials of female players, which since FIFA 16 have been purely cosmetic, an actual use.
With the increase in AI tactical awareness, Press Conference questions will also be given an update, and will be more realistic and relevant to the game.
One of the major draws of FC 25 as a whole, at least for me, is that youth academies have finally been given an update. An update in generic player faces will finally mean that youth academy players’ faces will age as they age in-game. Another long-requested feature will arrive in this game, as you’ll be able to play with players in your youth academy in tournaments using the new Rush gamemode.
In player career mode, you’ll be able to start as one of a few former players, and get them back into the current football world. This is the only way to use Icons outside of Ultimate Team, and not in kickoff mode. It remains to be seen how they’ll implement this feature.
You’ll also be able to choose storylines for your player in player career, such as a fall from grace, or a great wonderkid, or even just a clean slate, to impact the storytelling in your player career.
Oh yeah, we’ll also see Fabrizio Romano featuring in a social media tab in both manager and player career, another longtime requested feature.
Let’s expand further on the new Rush game mode,
- It’ll be a 7-minute per match mode, with 2 minutes of golden goal and a penalty shootout if it’s tied.
- The goalkeeper in Rush will be AI controlled, with the mode being made for 4 players.
- Unlike Volta, there aren’t positions in Rush, and it’ll be up to the player(s) on how they’ll play.
- There will be some new rules in Rush, including:
- Kickoffs are “Rocket League style”, where all players are placed the same distance apart from the ball, placed in the middle and they all run to it
- There are offsides, but only in the opposition third.
- There aren’t red cards in Rush, but instead “Blue cards” that brandish the player to a 1-minute sin bin.
- Penalties will be similar to hockey, taken from the third line and being a 1-on-1 with the keeper.
All in all, these changes should make for a very good game, but it all depends on the execution of these. If executed well, the narrative on FC 25 could change completely compared to previous years, but if executed poorly, could be another one of the recent poor editions of the franchise. For now though, I’m Jim James, until next time.