EA FC 25 review: It's all change tactically - and all about the Rush

EA Sports FC 25: Another year, another Manchester City Premier League title win, and another release of the world’s most-played football video game.

Last year, FIFA 23 became EA Sports FC 24, and this year EA FC 25 has now arrived to hold the torch for the next 12 months. With updates to beloved game modes like Career, a new tactical system that takes a page from FM 2024’s book, and a new game mode that is likely to be the heart and soul of the party, EA FC 25 could go down as one of the biggest annual releases of the franchise yet.

So what makes EA FC 25 stand out compared to last year’s game, aside from updated squads, the arrival of Lamine Yamal in Ultimate Team, and new kits? Well, I’ve been gushing about it for weeks so it only feels fitting that I start this review by talking about Rush 5v5. EA has listened and FC 25 now has an absolutely fantastic social mode that is not only incorporated into all of your favourite game modes but it also plays a part in rewards. This means for the first time in Ultimate Team you can play with multiple friends at the same time as you face off against another group of 4 players online with everyone trying to win prizes together - it’s genuinely awesome and the most fun I’ve had with any FIFA or EA FC in recent memory.

Rush in Ultimate Team is simple: pick a player from your squad and team up with friends. In Career Mode, Rush is used as a way to improve youth prospects in 5v5 matches, and in Clubs, you can play the game mode to move your team up the ranks even when all your teammates aren’t online. EA has hit the nail on the head with Rush, which replaces last year’s VOLTA, and I can see this evolving into everyone’s favorite way to play video game football.

Speaking of Ultimate Team, new quality-of-life improvements such as an untradeable duplicate storage pile so you can keep players for Squad Building Challenges or the fact you can get relegated in Division Rivals so you don’t get stuck playing increasingly impossible-to-beat opponents, make the game mode that little bit more enjoyable - perfect for anyone looking to give it a try for the first time.

Ultimate Team might be EA FC’s most popular game mode but one of its most beloved has finally got a significant update in this year’s game. Career Mode has a new coat of paint that lets you not only create your manager with new character customisation but also pick from current managers to take over as your favourite team’s gaffer.

The game mode has fantastic menus showcasing social media and famous journalists like Fabrizio Romano, as well as a whole host of customisation options to tailor your playthrough to your exact specifics. For example, want to play with no transfer windows? You can. Want to start your season with live results from this weekend’s Premier League fixtures? You can. How about immunity from the sack? Yep, that’s there too.

This year’s Career Mode with the inclusion of Rush in your team’s youth development and the arrival of women’s teams for the first time ever, feels like a refreshing upgrade to a mode that fans have been clamouring for change in for years. Career Mode still plays like Career Mode, but anyone looking to reach the highest heights in the world of football now has a major 2025 update to match the rest of the game’s improvements, rather than it feeling left behind like previous games.

In my time testing the game I’ve not had much of a chance to play Clubs but this year it has the aforementioned inclusion of Rush and new clubhouse rewards and customisation to make your football team feel more alive.

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The game modes have had a glow-up, but what does the gameplay feel like? Well, FC IQ is the biggest change this year, introducing a new tactical system similar to Football Manager 2024. It’s pretty robust, allowing you to copy tactics from the world’s best managers as well as create and share your own via QR codes online. I’ve been using Pep Guardiola’s tactics over the last few days and each player has specific roles that they are good at. 

Next to some players, you’ll see a ++ for particular roles, meaning they are world-class for that specific style of play. In Pep’s 4-2-1-3, Trent Alexander-Arnold is a perfect ++ fit for the right back who takes up a flashback role. It’s far more in-depth than we’ve ever seen in EA FC before but the ability to copy tactics from real-world managers makes it pretty accessible for those who just want to play.

FC IQ aside, football matches are pretty enjoyable this year. While it’s very similar to EA FC 24, FC 25 has a slightly slower pace with the added tactical strategy many football fans have been hoping for. Of course, things may change once more people get their hands on the game and learn the ‘meta’ but as it stands, this is the most fun I’ve had playing a football game in years.

EA FC 25 might feel very familiar but it has much-needed additions that make this the best football game we’ve seen in a while. Rush mode could be the massive hit we’ve all been waiting for, bringing a social element to a football game we’ve been missing for a long long time. If you’re a fan of competitive and fun games with your friends, this year’s EA FC is a no-brainer. Prefer to play offline? There are more Career Mode improvements this year than the last few generations combined and with FC IQ the gameplay on the field feels more realistic than ever. EA FC 25 is a fantastic year for the franchise and well worth a purchase if you’ve been itching for a new football video game to pull you back in.

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