The launch of FC 25 is closer than it’s ever been after EA officially unveiled the game alongside a range of exciting new features, updates, and changes coming to various modes, including Career Mode.
Despite it remaining a fan favorite, the community feels as if Career Mode has somewhat been abandoned by developers in recent years, with a lack of change leaving many disappointed. However, all of the new features and improvements confirmed to be on the way indicate Career Mode is set to receive its biggest upgrade in years!
FC 25 Career Mode Unveiled
Career Mode has been popular among the FIFA and EA FC communities for a very long time, allowing players to step into the shoes of a manager or player as they embark on journeys at their favorite clubs around the world.
Following a period of stagnation, the team at EA finally appears to have listened to community feedback in an attempt to rejuvenate Career Mode and reignite the spark it once had.
A whole host of new features centered around the Youth Academy, tactics, UI, in-game realism, and so much more have been confirmed alongside FC 25’s reveal, and we’ve listed all of the key takeaways below!
FC 25 Career Mode Features
Women’s Career Mode
- FC 25 introduces Women’s football into Career Mode for the very first time, featuring the top five Women’s leagues for an authentic experience across Manager and Player Career. Women’s Career Mode will include the same features as Men’s Career Mode, except a unique financial model will be used to reflect tighter budgets, shorter contracts, and different salary structures that are often used in Women’s football. Additionally, players can become a manager of a Women’s team and get offered a Men’s managerial role and vice versa.
FC IQ
- Powered by AI and data from the greatest teams in football, FC IQ will modernize tactics and positioning across all core game modes including Career. Creating greater variety and authenticity in gameplay, FC IQ is aimed at giving players more control over their team, with over 50 new player roles that guide how players think and behave off the ball. There are also various team tactics which represent real-world styles, while gameplay will feel more varied match to match.
Full Match Intros Return
- Players will have the option to opt in and watch a full authentic match intro featuring team line-ups following the short cutscenes introduced in FC 24. For those who wish to keep intros short and sweet, the opt-in option can be disabled via settings.
Youth Academy Revamp
- Over 90 countries have been added to Youth Academy Scouting. Players can also select up to four positions and up to three focused roles when setting scout instructions. In order to increase the sense of realism, Youth player models will accurately reflect their age and look much younger.
Live Start Points
- This brand new proposition for Career Mode lets players live out the biggest real-life storylines as they happen, navigating key moments like mid-season transfers or managerial shifts. For example, say Erik ten Hag is sacked after the first ten games in real life, you could start your Career Mode from that exact point and take up the reins at Manchester United. Alternatively, maybe someone like Nico Williams moves clubs and you want to play as him as he embarks on a new journey. Live Start Points will feature real-life updates from 11 top leagues and 17 cup competitions over 12 months, becoming available post-launch once the 2024/25 campaigns have begun.
Rush Game Mode
- Integrated across Career Mode, Rush offers a fast-paced 5v5 experience that will allow players to work on certain attributes and upgrade ratings. Youth players can be used in Rush tournaments that will take place every two months, giving you the chance to boost their development in the process. Additionally, it will allow you to get a sense of how they feel when they reach their full potential. For instance, if an academy player has a 60 OVR but a potential of 90, you can select them as a 90-rated player in Rush to see how they play and feel.
Increased Settings Freedom
- Before starting a Career Mode save, players can now enable or disable transfer embargoes, scouting, and training plans. Additionally, board expectations can also be turned off completely, or adjusted to your preferred strictness level.
Tactical Press Conferences
- With a new tactical press conference system that leans into FC IQ, players will be asked more questions about what tactics they and the opposition are using. This is designed to be more dynamic and flexible with each game. Managing player morale will also relate to the press conferences in addition to conversations with the players themselves as seen in previous titles.
Improved Morale Meter Function
- The Morale Meter will have more of a sweet spot so managers have got to deal with players slightly differently. For example, you must encourage players without making them too complacent. This is aimed at giving the morale meter more balance to ensure it doesn’t reach the Max or Min level too quickly.
New UI
- A completely new UI Menu screen that is designed to improve accessibility, giving players more of a casual experience without needing to navigate through lots of different menus. This will see more of the key features appear in one place.
Social Media System
- The news screen will now have a separate Social Media platform that features information about upcoming matches and social media posts on transfers, contracts, and opinions. Fabrizio Romano and other news outlets will post in-game transfer stories as they happen.
Detailed Player Roles Screen
- When giving players their own unique roles in Team Management, the pros and cons for each role will be shown, as well as the shape of your team with and without the ball.
Bench Size Increased
- Manager Career Mode players will be able to name nine substitutes on their bench, rather than seven as seen in previous titles.
Icons in Player Career Mode
- Users will be able to play as Icons in Player Career Mode. Day one Icons include Andrea Pirlo, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Kelly Smith, and Thierry Henry, while Pre-Order Icons include Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, and David Beckham.
Credit: EA
Origin Stories
- Origin Stories is another new feature in Player Career that lets you have a say in your player’s story and background. Start your footballing journey under a Clean Slate, Continue your family’s legacy with Great Expectations, rise from humble beginnings to Climb To The Top, or recover from a career-threatening injury and Return To Glory. Alternatively, players can choose a default Origin Story to create their own unique background.
EA SPORTS CRANIUM
- Player customization like never before. EA SPORTS CRANIUM is an EA initiative that leverages the power of machine learning to generate increased likenesses with player face scans. When EA doesn’t have authentic face scans for a player, the machine learns their appearance and creates a much more accurate scan compared to generic heads. This will be used for thousands of players on FC 25 and can also be used to create and edit players in Career Mode.
And there we have it, all of the main features and changes coming to FC 25 Career Mode!
While most if not all of the above points will excite fans, many will no doubt approach the game’s launch with a cautious mindset after being let down in previous years.
Ultimately, the proof will be in the pudding when players get their hands on FC 25 for the very first time. However, there’s definitely a lot of potential to work with should these changes fulfill the vision EA set them out to have.
Credit: EA
What do you think about the FC 25 Career Mode features? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
EA SPORTS FC 25 will be available to play on September 27, 2024, launching on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch. Early access via the Ultimate Edition begins September 20.
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