The countdown to FC 25 has begun, and EA Sports is wasting no time in revealing some of the big gameplay changes it’s making for this year’s soccer game. The headline act of the huge new gameplay reveal is its overhaul to custom tactics and player positioning, but EA FC fans should also take note of several smaller announcements too, like tactical fouling, new skill moves, and PlayStyles for goalkeepers.
Let’s start with that big change to FC 25’s tactics systems. As long-time EA FC and FIFA fans will know by now, EA Sports has a recurring habit of taking existing mechanics, changing them a little bit, and overselling them as a big new feature with an impactful, exciting new name. To an extent, that is true for ‘FC IQ,’ which is the buzzword for its tactics overhaul. However, it’s still worth pointing out some of the big differences that you’ll notice in the new sports game.
The main one is to do with player roles. Five of the core positions that you would previously see players categorized as have been removed. They are left wing-back, right wing-back, left forward, right forward, and center forward.
Instead, these positions have been merged into the new Player Roles system. EA FC’s old tactics system had something similar to this anyway, but it wasn’t that impactful or widely adopted, so this will probably feel like a big change to a lot of players. Player Roles essentially gives every core position on the pitch a few options that will suit certain players over others. Take strikers for example. Instead of just picking ‘a striker’, you can now turn them into either an Advance Forward, a Poacher, a False 9, or a Target Forward. These roles will affect your striker’s positioning, the type of runs they make, and more.
To check the suitability of a player for a given role, you need to check their Role Familiarity:
- Role – A regular role means the player can play in that role.
- Role+ – Indicated with a ‘+’ sign meaning this player has mastered the role (every player in FC 25 has at least one Role+)
- Role++ – A ‘++’ sign indicates the player is a world-class player in this role.
- Out of Position – A yellow exclamation mark indicates a simplified version of the role when the player is out of position.
Another big FC IQ feature to make you aware of is that custom tactics setups can now be shared with friends or followers via codes. This is a super handy feature, however I am a bit worried that, in true EA FC/ FIFA fashion, an overpowered meta setup will be found, and now it’ll just be very easily shareable with a simple code.
Let’s take a look at a few other interesting things to highlight from the bumper blog post and deep dive trailer.
The first is tactical fouling. While this is definitely part of the real sport of soccer, I can already see this mechanic being used in incredibly toxic ways if it’s too easy to use. Is your opponent through on goal in the dying moments? Get somewhat near to them, press the tactical foul button, accept the yellow or red card, and move on. Not sure how I feel about this one, I can’t lie.
What I’m always excited to see, though, is new skill moves, and we’re not going to be disappointed this year. EA Sports has announced four totally fresh ones – Big Feint (two-star), Stop and Go (two-star), Step Over Ball (four-star), and Toe Drag Stepover (five-star). Three existing skill moves have also had a fresh lick of paint with new animations, as have the special fake shots you can perform with players that have the Trickster PlayStyle.
Speaking of PlayStyles, goalkeepers are no longer left out of the club. EA Sports is introducing six new PlayStyles, all for ‘keepers. They are Far Throw, Far Reach, Cross Claimer, Footwork, Deflector, and Rush Out.
There will no doubt be loads more changes and reveals to come as we edge closer towards the FC 25 release date. But in the meantime, here are some other excellent multiplayer games to get you in the competitive (or cooperative) spirit.
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