The FIFA franchise, now rebranded as EA Sports FC, has long dominated the digital football scene. But EA FC 25 — the second title under the new name — may go down as one of the most disappointing entries in the series’ long history. While fans hoped for a fresh start post-FIFA branding, what they got feels more like a polished cash grab than a bold reinvention. Here’s why EA FC 25 might just be the worst football game EA has released in years.
1. Same Game, Different Name
Let’s be honest — EA FC 25 plays almost identically to FC 24. The so-called “new” mechanics are either subtle tweaks or pure marketing fluff. EA promised more fluid animations and smarter AI, but in reality, the gameplay still suffers from arcade-like physics, bizarre ball trajectories, and robotic player movement. The legacy code from previous FIFA titles is clearly still doing the heavy lifting.
Despite its sleek menus and updated kits, EA FC 25 feels like a minor patch sold as a full-priced game.
2. Ultimate Team Is More Pay-to-Win Than Ever
EA’s money-making machine, Ultimate Team, continues to alienate casual players. While the mode’s foundation remains addictive, EA FC 25 leans even harder into microtransactions. Progression is slow without spending money, and even with hours of grinding, the odds of packing elite players remain frustratingly low.
The addition of even more card variants — dynamic items, promos every week, untradeable objectives — turns Ultimate Team into a confusing, exploitative casino. And let’s not forget the growing prevalence of loot-box mechanics, which are increasingly under legal scrutiny worldwide.
3. Career Mode: Still Neglected
Career Mode was once a beloved staple for offline players. But in EA FC 25, it’s barely changed — again. Aside from a few UI updates and some shallow “storyline” elements, the mode continues to suffer from:
Repetitive press conferences
Poor transfer logic from AI clubs
Broken youth development systems
A complete lack of meaningful depth in player personalities or tactical growth
While EA talks a big game about immersion and realism, Career Mode fans are left with the same recycled experience year after year.
4. Buggy Launch and Lazy Polish
From Day One, EA FC 25 was plagued by bugs, server issues, and broken animations. Goalkeepers randomly freeze. Players clip through each other. Substitutions glitch out. Even offline matches have inexplicable AI meltdowns. This isn’t just nitpicking — these bugs break immersion and hurt competitive integrity.
For a studio with EA’s budget, the lack of quality assurance is inexcusable. It feels like the game was rushed out to meet annual deadlines rather than to meet player expectations.
5. Esports & Online Play: A Messy Experience
In the competitive scene, EA FC 25 is a nightmare. Online matches are riddled with lag, delay, and inconsistent gameplay. Pro players frequently complain about input lag and random momentum swings that make matches feel scripted. Crossplay, which should be a selling point, remains unbalanced, especially between PC and console players.
This isn’t just frustrating — it’s game-breaking, especially for those trying to compete seriously. The esports scene deserves a polished, predictable, and fair environment. Instead, it’s stuck with a foundation that feels more unstable than ever.
6. No Real Innovation, Just Replication
Let’s face it — EA has stopped innovating. EA FC 25 borrows ideas from past games, mobile mechanics, and even arcade modes like Volta (which itself feels dead on arrival). There’s no vision, no ambition, no risk-taking. It’s just a copy-paste of past successes, repackaged to meet another fiscal quarter.
Even new “features” like enhanced crowd reactions or matchday atmosphere feel hollow when the core gameplay loop remains stale. The game lacks soul — and fans are noticing.
7. The Community Is Tired
Perhaps the clearest sign of EA FC 25’s failure is the growing fatigue among its most loyal players. Social media is flooded with clips of glitches, unbalanced gameplay, and rants about Ultimate Team greed. Review scores are dropping, and content creators — once the game’s biggest cheerleaders — are now among its loudest critics.
The shift from FIFA to EA Sports FC was a rare opportunity to rebuild trust with the community. Instead, EA doubled down on the same old flaws, and many players are finally fed up.
Conclusion: Time for Real Change
EA FC 25 isn’t unplayable — but it is uninspired, unbalanced, and undeniably stale. For a series that once defined virtual football, this entry feels like a low point. Without serious investment in gameplay innovation, community-driven features, and ethical design, EA risks losing its dominance to emerging competitors.
The football gaming world is desperate for a breath of fresh air. And unless EA wakes up soon, EA FC 25 could be remembered not just as the worst football game in years — but as the beginning of the end for EA’s football monopoly