August 5 wasEA FC 25‘s big deep dive into the Ultimate Team mode, but the presentation focused mostly on a new game mode coming this year.
It’s no secret that EA Sports is optimistic about the Rush game mode, which will be implemented in Ultimate Team (along with FC Clubs and Career Mode). While Ultimate Team has plenty of finer elements that the developers could have showcased, the audience mostly got an explanation of how Rush will work. It’s pretty obvious that Rush, being an upcoming addition to Ultimate Team, got so much attention. But that meant not seeing other pieces of the mode, some of which have been core parts of Ultimate Team over the years.
Tonight was the shortest presentation in terms of length. EA Sports opened the deep dive with a detailed explanation of the Rush mode—things that the public already knows. The new mode does look fun, and it is a welcome change from the competitiveness that surrounds Division Rivals and Champions Finals. However, almost all the information about Rush has been explained previously.
The Rush mode will also have rewards, and as per the developers, it will have more objectives related to it. It’s understandable that the developers are excited about it, but Ultimate Team requires a lot of changes. In fact, Evolutions will undergo a big change, yet EA Sports managed to push it under the radar.
We have also seen such announcements about Moments in the past. Two games later, nobody bothers grinding Moments, and the lack of fresh content makes things worse. Hopefully, Rush won’t meet the same fate in Ultimate Team, especially when players will invest time in Division Rivals, Friendlies, Champions Finals, and other modes.
There was zero information about modes like Squad Battles and Champions Finals. Both modes could do with improvements in some areas, but EA Sports had no mention of them in today’s deep dive (despite Champions Finals being the most popular mode in Ultimate Team).
EA FC 25 Ultimate Team will get improvements
Ultimate Team will undergo some major improvements. For starters, relegation in Division Rivals will help players drop down to a level that matches their skills. You can also get weekly rewards based on total points instead of solely relying on wins.
Evolutions will be much more accessible, which is a big win for the community. The change of matchmaking in Friendlies from the existing system inEA FC 24would also make them more interesting (although, the community might end up exploiting it).
Hopefully, EA Sports won’t forget about the other modes after launch in favor of Rush. Putting all the eggs in one basket has seldom worked for any video game, and when it comes to Ultimate Team, improvements are definitely required in several departments.
