EA FC 25 dev says it’s harder than ever to introduce new features

EA FC 25 senior producer Sam Rivera believes it’s becoming increasingly “harder” for the developer to add new features with each new entry in the soccer sims series.

EA has worked hard on various new features in the upcoming EA FC 25, including the new Rush game mode, playable youth in Career Mode, and duplicate storage in Ultimate Team, but Rivera told VG247 on Sept. 6 that new features are increasingly more difficult to create.

Though the signs look promising for EA FC 25 in that regard, Rivera’s comments suggest players shouldn’t expect a huge number every year as it’s “a lot harder” due to the number of features already existing in the series. Despite that, the team’s focus team remains on understanding “what the gaps are” and pushing to deliver in those areas.

In previous years, new features have largely been restricted to individual game modes, alienating players who spend their time in other areas of the game, but a different approach has been made for FC 25 to introduce features that spread across all modes.

FC IQ is the biggest of these, flipping the script entirely on in-game tactics and providing greater depth to players, while Rush is an intriguing addition due to its playability across all modes, each with a different spin.

In Ultimate Team, for example, you pick a single player from your squad and dive into matches online with other players, while Rush in Career Mode puts players in control of youth squads for the first time.

Though adding new features to the franchise is a challenge for the developer, it’s also one they are prepared for. Rivera added there is already a “long-term strategy for the next five years,” covering everything from features to console support and available regions.

I certainly hope that online career modes are near the top of the list of features planned to be added, particularly given their availability in other EA sports titles like Madden.