EA Sports FC

EA Sports FC is Electronic Arts’ football video game series, launched after the company ended its long-running licensing agreement with FIFA. EA announced the new name in May 2022, while FIFA 23 became the final entry released under the FIFA branding. The successor, EA Sports FC 24, arrived in 2023. FC 24 launched worldwide on September 29, 2023, for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and Windows. Buyers of the Ultimate Edition received early access from September 22. Manchester City striker Erling Haaland appeared on the standard edition’s cover, replacing FIFA 23’s star Kylian Mbappé. The rebrand did not remove EA’s football licenses. FC 24 included more than 19,000 players, over 700 teams, more than 100 stadiums, and over 30 leagues. Licensed competitions included the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Women’s Champions League, LaLiga, Bundesliga, Serie A, and CONMEBOL Libertadores, with authentic clubs represented. A defining addition to FC 24 was HyperMotionV, available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. EA said the system used volumetric data captured from more than 180 professional men’s and women’s matches. It supported over 1,200 signature running styles, aiming to reproduce individual movement patterns more faithfully in-game. FC 24 also integrated women’s football directly into Ultimate Team for the first time. Male and female players could appear together in the same squad, while chemistry depended on shared clubs, leagues, and nationalities. The database included players from the Barclays Women’s Super League and Liga F, among other competitions. Career Mode retained separate Manager and Player paths. Manager Career added Tactical Visions, including Gegenpressing, Tiki-Taka, and Park the Bus, plus coaches who improved player development in assigned departments. Player Career introduced agents and contract objectives, allowing users to target specific clubs while progressing toward moves through defined performance requirements. EA followed FC 24 with EA Sports FC 25, released on September 27, 2024. Jude Bellingham was the standard cover athlete, while the Ultimate Edition artwork featured Bellingham, Aitana Bonmatí, David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane, and Gianluigi Buffon. FC 25 introduced the five-versus-five Rush format and the FC IQ tactical system. Rush replaced Volta as the principal small-sided mode across Ultimate Team, Clubs, Kick-Off, and Career. FC IQ changed team tactics through player roles and more detailed positioning. The series continued EA’s annual football lineage, but its identity now rested on club and league partnerships rather than FIFA’s name license alone.