EA SPORTS FC 25 Focus: Rush, Ultimate Team and Clubs

After EA SPORTS FC 24 enjoyed a great debut following the post-FIFA rebranding, the EA FC series aims to go from strength to strength. Everyone’s wondering what new ideas and features EA FC 25 is going to bring to the table this year. Well, thanks to us receiving an invite to a Virtual Producer Showcase, you’re about to find out as we present a deep dive into EA SPORTS FC 25.

Due to there being a hefty amount of details, we’ve decided to split them into two parts. Here, we’ll give you the lowdown on the things related to the Rush (a brand new mode), Ultimate Team and Clubs game modes.

For everything else, please check out our other article – EA SPORTS FC 25 Focus: FC IQ, Gameplay, Career and more. So, let’s get stuck into the juicy details.

Rush

Rush is a brand new 5v5 experience that’s going to be integrated across all of the existing game modes in one way or another. It’ll possess the same core mechanics as 11vs11, to ensure the gameplay has both depth and balance, however it’s played on a slightly smaller pitch. Don’t worry about the size though, for it’s much bigger and less restricting than the Volta pitches – which are gone, along with the whole disappointing concept of Volta. The Rush pitch actually allows you enough space to have time on the ball and to be creative. 

Each team is made up of four human controlled outfield players and an AI-controlled goalkeeper. Positioning is fluid and dynamic as there are no fixed positions; it’s a case of coordinating and rotating with your friends, or possibly strangers, which encourages communication. Otherwise you’ll be running around like school kids in the playground and that’s only going to lessen the chance of winning.

At kick-off, it is essentially a race to the ball as it gets launched onto pitch via either the north or south. Another interesting addition are the blue cards, given for the most cynical of fouls and results in that player receiving a one minute suspension. Fouling in the box leads to a rather unconventional penalty kick situation where the nominated taker dribbles towards the goal, creating a one-on-one opportunity – similar to how it’s done in ice hockey. During this, everyone controls their own players, moving around behind the action, while the captain can assume the role of the goalkeeper temporarily.

One last noteworthy aspect is the new stadium developed in collaboration with Nike, which is called the Nike Air Zoom Arena. Imagine an old-fashioned bathtub, but on a tilt, and that’s how it appears to anyone unfamiliar with the actual inspirations – the Nike Swoosh logo and their Mercurial range.

Ultimate Team

Rush’s influence is ever-present, and in Ultimate Team you’ll have the ability to take a player into a Rush match. There’s always going to be a theme dictating who’s eligible to choose from your squad, which is usually in unison with what’s going on in the real world.

An example is having it limited to La Liga after Real Madrid’s triumph in the Champions League final. Whether you’re with friends or random people, the team can earn potential bonus ‘Rush Points’ for satisfying other optional objectives e.g. their nationality is Brazilian or they play the CM position. Rush Points are also garnered through your performance and these will reap weekly rewards. 

A lot of changes are being implemented in Ultimate Team off the back of community feedback too. You know the ridiculous amount of untradeable duplicates that often get discarded? Well EA SPORTS FC 25 has Squad Builder Challenge Storage, enabling you to store up to a hundred dupes to use as a priority when completing SBCs. The Evolution feature is expanding so that more players are eligible for evolving and there’ll be more opportunities released throughout the year. 

Friendlies are set to have their own matchmaking system, without any influence from your Rivals rank. As for Rivals, a draw will now be slightly useful towards earning weekly rewards as it’s not just about wins anymore. EA are also Introducing relegation to the top 2 divisions, making sure those participating actually belong there.

Everything you do in Ultimate Team, Clubs, and Career mode will count towards the Seasonal Progress. This way you’re always working towards unlocking things for all the modes, including cosmetic items, cool kits, and Ultimate Team packs.

Clubs

The Clubs Clubhouse is the new hub, with the dressing room being the focal point where your teammates’ avatars will show up. The theme is based on your chosen kit and team crest, ensuring its matching the identity of your club. Everything here appears streamlined, with easier navigation between the tactics, the match lobby, statistics, and customising your player. 

Club Managers have more responsibility than ever as they are tasked with managing the budget. Using this budget, it’s possible to purchase facilities that provide unique attribute boosts to everyone in your team. Something like a Performance Analyst boosts the vision and short pass attributes by five points. Other, more expensive facilities give an additional PlayStyles, taking the total to three. By increasing the club reputation and earning fans, the budget will significantly increase.

Relegation is back, adding a bit of pressure for one-off matches to see if you deserve to stay in that particular division after a bad run of form. Furthermore, expect unlockable cosmetics aplenty and extra depth to avatar creation, providing you with better tools to mould your player how you see fit.

Of course, Rush has infiltrated Clubs too. Your character can join a Rush match with or without you mates. If all of the team are from the same club however, then you’ll use your Clubs kit and badge. Either way, winning contributes to both your own ranking and Clubs ranking, so you’re always representing.

And that’s it for this deep dive. Perhaps your interest has been piqued, in which case you should take note of EA SPORTS FC 25 releasing on 27th September for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, Nintendo Switch and PC, with Jude Bellingham front and centre as the cover star.

If you’re really eager, early access begins on 20th September. The Xbox Store will sort you out with the Ultimate Edition if you fancy dropping the cash.

Feel free to drop a comment below with your thoughts and share what fresh features you can’t wait to experience for yourself.