EA Sports FC 25 early access begins, full release on September 27

Key Takeaway: EA is preparing to launch its second soccer simulation game under the EA FC franchise, following the end of its partnership with FIFA and the World Cup license in 2022. Despite these changes, EA FC seems unaffected, with limited competition expected in the market for the foreseeable future.

EA Sports FC 25 is now accessible to those who pre-ordered the Ultimate Edition for $100, while the standard edition will be released on September 27 for $70.

The latest installment in EA’s post-FIFA series introduces various gameplay improvements and new features. An updated AI system promises more lifelike matches, while a new rush mode allows cooperative play in 5v5 games.

Furthermore, EA Sports FC 25 includes fully-featured career modes for female players, enabling users to manage a player or team in one of five top women’s leagues. This addition reflects EA’s ongoing commitment to female representation in the game, which started in the previous title.

Later this year, Live Strat Points will enable players to connect their careers with real-world matches during the 2024/2025 season.

The system requirements remain unchanged and modest, with EA recommending 12 GB of RAM and either an AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT or Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti. The game necessitates 100 GB of storage space.

Interestingly, some early-access players on Steam have reported controller support issues, leading to a “Mixed” review rating. EA has issued a workaround guide while investigating the problem.

Although EA separated from FIFA two years ago and FIFA vowed to create a superior soccer game, no direct competitor has emerged.

Earlier this year, rumors circulated about 2K Games developing FIFA 2K25. However, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick dismissed these claims, citing the complexity of licensing for international soccer compared to American sports like football, basketball, and baseball.

Zelnick highlighted the numerous regional leagues in international football, which require separate agreements. Additionally, the FIFA license alone does not grant access to these leagues, many of which have already partnered with EA for the FC series.