EA Sports invited MeinMMO to try out a pre-beta version of EA FC 25. We didn’t have to be asked twice and took a good look at the gameplay. What has changed in the gameplay and how the new 5VS5 mode “Rush” plays, you can find out here.
What we tested: We were able to play a pre-beta version of EA Sports FC 25 on the PS5, which represents a very early playable version of the title. This already includes all gameplay changes, but it is still in development and is by no means finished and balanced.
Available was the kickoff mode with the classic 11VS11 as well as the brand new 5VS5 mode “Rush”, which has ensured that VOLTA is now completely out of FC 25. EA justifies this decision with feedback from the community.
Playable were:
- Manchester City, Real Madrid, Liverpool FC, and Atletico Madrid for the men.
- Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Olympique Lyon for the women.
The stats and teams were still based on the data from FC 24, so nothing was revealed in this area.
What is supposed to be new in gameplay? In a major presentation, EA introduced the gameplay innovations that FC 25 is supposed to have. These include:
- “FQ IQ”, which brings new player roles and tactical templates.
- PlayStyles for goalkeepers.
- Tactical foul (Professional Foul). This allows you to bring down opponents without a tackle or sliding challenge. Executed by pressing R1 and the X button (PS5).
- Better left stick dribbling.
- Harder passes when the player is under pressure.
- 5 new skill moves.
- Weather effects such as wind that can influence gameplay.
What is new in graphics?
- Even more realistic running styles of the stars. 1,800 professionals with realistic running styles, including 200 women.
- Authentic mascots that you can celebrate with after a goal.
- Better stadium atmosphere with more active coaches, referees, and fans.
- Two different graphics modes are available. One has better lighting effects (ray tracing) and visual improvements and is rendered in 4K. Or true 4K with standard lighting. Both offer 60 FPS in gameplay.
- Better faces for players without face scans due to machine learning.
But what do the changes really do? What is immediately noticeable? We reveal to you what 3 innovations you can look forward to and how the gameplay really feels.
1. The new gameplay tweaks in the right places
This is how the new gameplay really is: When you play the first match in FC 25, you feel right at home, as the general gameplay and feeling are very close to FC 24. Almost identical. But that is not a bad thing, as the predecessor FC 24 offered excellent gameplay. Nothing was really overpowered and it always felt fair and good – except when the servers had issues.
In FC 25, much remains the same and you have to look closely to find differences in gameplay. However, what immediately stands out is that the gameplay has become slower and feels more realistic.
It is also significantly more difficult to play passes when your player is under pressure and being pressed. Here, wild long passes across the field no longer work. A realistic improvement.
It is also noticeable that scoring goals has become more difficult, as the opposing defenders defend spaces very well. The defense feels much more stable. Furthermore, the AI of the CPU players generally feels better. Opponents now try to dribble in pressing situations to evade the situation.
What is unfortunate is that there are no major changes to shooting, passing, or standard mechanics. Corner, free kick, and penalty systems are all identical to FC 24. Except for “Rush”, but you can read more about that further down in this article.
Notably, however, the new player roles stand out, which are an addition to the PlayStyles and ultimately replace the old work rates and tremendously improve tactics.
2. The new player roles significantly improve tactics
This important topic has finally been addressed: tactics in FC. For years, these have been treated as a secondary concern, and innovations have been rare. And even when something new was introduced, it was usually just minor improvements.
Now in FC 25, there is finally a major tactical revolution, and you can actually feel it on the virtual pitch. Under “FC IQ”, EA Sports summarizes the tactical innovations in EA FC 25, which include:
- Over 35 different player roles.
- New team tactics inspired by great clubs or playing styles like Tiki Taka.
- Smart tactics, which suggest better strategies based on the course of the game.
What are the new player roles? If you have played Sega’s Football Manager, player roles are likely not new to you. In EA FC 25, they behave very similarly. Every professional has at least one player role that determines their runs and positioning when not in possession of the ball.
As an example, there is the “Shadow Striker” player role, which Jude Bellingham will have in FC 25. If you select this for Bellingham, he will play in a way that he acts as a CAM attacking and looks for the gap behind the attackers. He will aim for well-timed runs into the box and attempt to score there.
Good to know about player roles:
- There are player roles in various strengths, such as Box-to-Box, Box-to-Box+, or Box-to-Box++. The plus variants are intended for superstars who can execute their roles even better.
- Some player roles have different focuses such as attack, defense, or free.
- The work rates will no longer exist in FC 25.
- New player roles may be introduced in the future.
Why player roles are a good addition: The new player roles make the game significantly more realistic and the tactics much more comprehensive. In the past, you had to fiddle around in the tactics menu for hours and then hope that the players would execute the runs you had planned.
Now, the player roles take care of that. It remains to be seen how well this will work in the finished game. However, in the beta, it was already hinted that FQ IQ will provide significantly better runs.
3. “Rush” offers cool rules and variety with the ball
This is what Rush has to offer: Rush is a new mode in FC 25, which is as the rumors have suggested, a 5VS5 mode where you play on a smaller soccer field with 4 outfield players, while the goalkeeper is controlled by AI.
The gameplay in Rush will be identical to the gameplay in FC 25 and will not focus on separate, trickier gameplay like in VOLTA.
What is particularly special about Rush is that you can play cooperatively. This means you can gather 3 friends and go on a goal hunt together in Rush. Additionally, Rush is available in many FC modes. You can play it in the kickoff mode on the couch, online in Ultimate Team, or even in Clubs (formerly Pro Clubs).
Here are the rules of Rush:
- A game lasts 8 minutes, the time runs down.
- At kickoff, players sprint towards the ball, and the faster one wins. Similar to Rocket League.
- For fouls, there is a blue card, which sends the player off for one minute.
- Offside only exists in the attacking third.
- Free kicks are executed indirectly.
- For penalties, the shooter runs towards the goalkeeper, but the goalkeeper is controlled by a player instead of the CPU.
- There are no fixed positions.
This is how it plays: Rush is a bit like a real football match in a lighter variant. It is much sleeker, faster, and less rigid. It almost resembles small-sided leagues like the Baller League or Kings League, which also try to speed up and make classic football more fun.
And it succeeds: because Rush is simply fun. It is great that the gameplay here is identical to the normal 11VS11 mode. Because of this, you don’t have to rethink and can just have fun. However, you do need to get used to the small field and say goodbye to tactics, elaborate runs, and long passing sequences.
Here, only good dribbling, precise passes, and shooting count. Fouls are punished by timeouts, giving you a significant advantage when there are only 3 outfield players left.
So the rules are well thought out, and particularly the new penalties are really exciting. Unfortunately, we did not have the opportunity to play Rush cooperatively. Presumably, the mode will be much more fun with friends than playing alone against the CPU.
Our conclusion about the beta: Overall, the beta of FC 25 was a lot of fun, especially in the tactical area. Gameplay feels great and very similar to its predecessor, which is not a bad thing considering the strong predecessor. You get the feeling that EA is freer in development, listens to the community, and incorporates modes and changes that fans desire.
The announced innovations in Ultimate Team and career mode certainly make you look forward to more and promise to finally become what FIFA should have always been.
Moreover, the new mode “Rush” offers fast, fun matches that feel really refined and well thought out. Fun evenings with friends are guaranteed.
However, whether all this justifies a full price again remains questionable. Certainly, fans would have appreciated a new update model given the sparse but very good changes. What do you think? Are you interested in EA FC 25? Feel free to let us know in the comments!
