FC 25’s approach to tactics will revolutionise the series

It’s no secret that the FC (previously FIFA) series has grown a little stale in recent years, and a major aspect of that is how little the core gameplay has changed. Little tweaks come and go every year, and while they are usually for the better, they’re never particularly significant. Playing FC 24 doesn’t feel vastly different to playing FIFA 15, despite nearly a decade between them.

Thankfully, EA has finally listened to fans and has completely revolutionised the way AI and tactics work. It’s potentially the biggest overhaul in the series’ history, giving players almost the level of control over their tactics as in Football Manager. 

This new system is called FC IQ. Recent FC and FIFA games have been dominated by particular metas, making one style of play almost a requirement to do well, especially in Ultimate Team and Pro Clubs. FC 25 seeks to remedy this, not only by making more tactics viable but by making tactics more reflective of how they work in real life.

50 player roles to choose from

Like in Football Manager, players are now assigned player roles. Compare Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. Both play in the same position – striker – but whereas Mbappe likes to drift out wide and cut inside with the ball, Haaland tends to stay central, using his position to mop up chances in the box. Until now, these differences had never been reflected in-game, but that’s exactly what player roles seek to do.

Every player has certain roles that they excel in, determined by using AI to analyse Opta data from the past few seasons. Vinicius Jr. will perform best as an inside forward on the left. Conversely, someone more versatile like Kai Havertz can play well in multiple roles, perhaps as a playmaker controlling the flow of play, or as a shadow striker looking to make runs in behind and support the main man up front. Don’t worry though, Playstyles aren’t going anywhere. The developers view Playstyles as what your player does on the ball, while their player role is how they act off the ball – their positioning, the runs they make, how they receive the ball, etc.

In fact, Playstyles are being expanded with goalkeepers finally receiving their own. If you play a high line and are vulnerable to balls over the top, the Rush Out playstyle will give you a sweeper keeper to cover your back line. If you find yourself conceding from crosses, you might want to choose a goalie with the Cross Claimer Playstyle. This isn’t a massive addition, but a necessary one.

The introduction of player roles means you can also now view how your formation will look on and off the ball. You can make your CDM drop into defence to form a back three while your wing backs bomb up the pitch. You could give Trent Alexander-Arnold the half-back role, tucking him into central midfield to spray passes across the pitch. You can determine if you want your playmaker to be more balanced or to get forward and attack more. We have never had this level of control in an FC title before.

More tactical control than ever before

It’s not just about the roles you give your players, however, but the way tactics work has been changed too. Your overall tactics are inherently linked to your player roles, and you can see how your choice of roles will affect the tactics you’re using. Elements like build-up style and defensive approach now have more impact, and making sure your tactic and player roles work well together is key, but you can always throw on a preset tactic if you can’t be bothered.

This focus on tactics goes further with the introduction of Smart Tactics. The game now uses AI to monitor how you perform in matches and gives you on-the-fly advice on how to tweak your tactic to get the upper hand against your opponent. Perhaps your wing backs getting forward are leaving you too exposed. Smart Tactics might suggest making them more defensive and changing your approach to a slower build-up through the middle. Commentators will also now react to the change in tactics, which is a nice touch.

Most realistic match engine yet

As for your matches themselves, there have been a few minor additions that really add to the realism. Professional fouls have finally been added, so if you’re tired of pacey wingers always getting in behind, you can finally press a button to grab their shirt and pull them unceremoniously to the ground in exchange for a likely booking. 

Dribbling and ball control have had an update, too. The system has been improved and animations cleaned up to make the most consistent dribbling system ever, giving players tremendous close control when on the ball. In contrast, passing has been made a little harder. Whereas previously, players could perform wildly unrealistic passes, spinning 180 degrees and pinging a perfect pass, this might not always work in FC 25, with players scuffing or mis-hitting passes that would be unlikely to work in real life.

This is the biggest gameplay overhaul we’ve seen in the series in at least a decade. It’s been a few years since an FC or FIFA game really grabbed my attention, with the deep mechanics of Football Manager taking the reigns instead. If EA can successfully implement these widescale tactical changes and give players meaningful control over how they play the game, it might just be the spark needed to pull me and millions of other players back in.

EA Sports FC 25 releases on September 27, 2024 for PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch.