When the last officially-licensed college football game was released, there were midnight releases at retailers to purchase actual physical copies of the game. You network, grab player tags and embark on journeys. Playing high school football and enduring two-a-day practices, that off-time was dedicated to the college football games, not Madden. Somebody has made your high school and their rival in Team Builder complete with rosters. Same thing happened with players in college pointing out the player who represented them. You’re a college student starting school and you bond with roommates over the game, picking up where you left off the night before heading over to the stadium for the big game. College football video games were a cultural phenomenon in their own right, and the world has been deprived of this for eleven years, until now.
The Modern Era
College football is entering a new era and EA is a part of it withCollege Football 25. Nick Saban is gone, NIL deals are the market and the long-awaited College Football Playoff is here. Massive conference realignment will change the scope of the sport and the new PAC-12 will hope to stay relevant. All of this that is mentioned will be a part ofCollege Football 25, and NIL deals are the major reason this game even happened. Dating back to 2019, the development team has been at work to make this game happen. It will not be a Madden clone, but instead its own separate entity.
The development team at EA went out of its way to capture every detail that is seen on Saturdays. This includes real players and ratings and the modes fans loved from the previous series, albeit modernized. The development team that worked on this is comprised of members from the previous game and members of College Football Revamped. EA worked with Pro Football Focus for player and team information and worked with ESPN for stadium audio. The goal is to provide immersion with the passion, pageantry and tradition of each school and enable every fan to experience the sport like they never have before. This includes the likes of black and white-outs and color-specific crowd themes at stadiums, including upcoming ones this coming season.
CampusIQ Changes Gameplay
Has it been mentioned we had hands-on time withCollege Football 25? Because we did, at a recent EA preview event. CampusIQ is the core ofCollege Football 25, embracing everything listed here. The basic level of gameplay difference to Madden is faster gameplay. The speed and pace of college football is quicker and the difference between elite and younger players is massive. This is included here, and the gameplay goes much more deeper than this. EA is introducing the Wear and Tear system, and no this isn’t just a basic fatigue system. Think WWE 2K series, as different body parts take different amounts of abuse as no hit in the game is the same. Players in the game will show an icon if something on their body is wore down and there is a noticeable change to these players. Players will have a strength attribute in their ratings to determine how well players can combat the Wear and Tear.
Not only is physicality factored in, but mental status is also considered. Unlike Madden,College Football 25will not have X-Factors, but players will have mental and physical abilities that provide situational boosts. Coaches will also have their own set of abilities to affect the gameplay. Home Field Advantage returns, as well, but with more than just one receiver running a wrong route. The inability to hear audibles, and a first-hand experience of all five wide receivers having no idea what to do is in here. The development team took this from a Michigan game a couple of years ago. Teams will truly be at a disadvantage and this does vary per stadium as each are rated differently.
EA SPORTS College Football 25 Officially Announced
After rumors and talks and a long eleven years, college football fans will finally be getting their fix this summer.
If you watch college football now, no huddles are different. While players have the option to run a no-huddle, the new Turbo playcalling will mimic the teams that look to the sideline and it’s extremely authentic. This isn’t automated as choosing the Turbo playcalling requires a button press to have the team look over to the sideline and reveal another set of plays. There are 134 playbooks with ten different styles all thanks to Pro Football Focus. Custom playbooks are also in the game with custom audibles to offer an even deeper experience.
Players will all be different based on their experience, their skills and composure. This is wide-open gameplay that’s based on momentum. The AI also adapts on the fly to both sides of the ball. A first-hand experience of blowing a 17-0 lead as Florida State against Clemson can literally be felt just like what is on gameday. Clemson began exposing openings in the zone and provided blocking adjustments. The developers have also added full offensive line shifts to pre-play options and even more wide receiver route options. The development team also implemented a new system for running options as they felt it was backwards in execution. Players will now hold the button much like a QB does and if they want to hand it off, the button gets let go. Players can also do a quick pitch, fake pitch or strong pitch. Continuing this trend of overhauls is the new kicking meter as players will hit the horizontal access first, then the vertical meter. This plays into wider hash marks on the field. Lastly, AI field goals will not be gimmes.
But Wait! There’s More!
College Football 25has a new passing system. The game will feature a passing meter that measures power no matter the distance. This allows quarterbacks to throw laser darts that are short rather than just measuring deep throws. The team also worked on the inaccuracy system in the game to provide more realistic outcomes. Weather will also play a bigger role on games than what has been seen elsewhere. Defenses will also be able to disguise coverages with coverage shells, either showing cover 2 or 3. There are more pre-play options than ever before on both sides of the ball.
The Pageantry
EA worked on detailing 150 different stadiums all in one production cycle. The team has also added global illumination to every stadium in the game to provide modern lighting. Everyone in the crowd will differ and the game will include scanned faces of those fans that were made internet famous by their emotions in big games. The memes are in the game, basically. Every object in every stadium is scaled to the correct size and motion capture has been individually completed to provide introductions for every single school.
Working with ESPN, the development team was able to capture audio from 41 different games over the course of the last two seasons. Sound will vary by location so no atmosphere will ever feel the same. Mascots will also have signature moves, but do not expect a Mascot gameplay mode. Lastly, not only will newly-recorded alma mater songs be a part of the game, but players can expect other songs including Zombienation. The team, however, was not able to license Seven Nation Army. There will be so much going into this game to make it its own brand, and this isn’t even touching on the gameplay modes and the presentation elements.
College Football 25will launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series on July 19 with both a Standard and Deluxe Edition. The Deluxe Edition will offer three days early access. Players can also pre-order for the MVP Bundle that includes bothCollege Football 25andMadden NFL 25.
EA Sports College Football 25
The first entry in EA’s series since 2013’s NCAA Football 14, EA Sports College Football 25 is a sports sim that focuses on realistically capturing the college football scene.
