So, it’s farewell to FIFA and hello to EA Sports FC, as EA Sports dishes out the biggest reveal in football games for years. Heck, this almost rivals the fuss caused by Messi joining Inter Miami.
We’ve had a preview of the new game’s features and hands-on play – and EA’s FIFA replacement looks and feels ready for its place in gaming’s premier division.
The approach is shifting slightly, with EA pushing that EA Sports FC will have a bigger focus on innovation than the old FIFA. Yet there’s not much in FC 24 that’s going to startle the horses or transform the way you play console football. Instead, it takes what was great about last year’s FIFA 23, but pushes the action and realism to a whole new level.
Does EA Sports FC 24 still have real players?
Yes. EA has made key deals across the world of men’s and women’s football, with rights to more than 19,000 players, 700 teams, 100 stadiums, and 30 leagues.
All the key teams and players should be in there, including the Premier League, the EFL Championship, League One and League Two, Scotland’s Cinch Premiership, and the Barclays Women’s Super League.
We’re a long way away from the West London Blues and Yorkshire Whites of the older Pro Evolution Soccer games.
Does EA Sports FC 24 still look and play like FIFA?
It does on the surface, but there’s a lot of new tech behind the scenes, and it makes a real difference to the way the game looks and plays. Where the FIFA games relied on motion-captured data from footballers playing in a studio, EA Sports FC 24 uses a new system — Hypermotion V — that captures motion and animation from video of real-world matches, shot by cameras positioned around the pitch.
EA Sports claims this has enabled them to capture super-realistic animation from the world’s best players playing at the highest level, using data from more than 180 different matches, then use AI to bring that motion directly into the game.
FIFA 23 set a high bar for in-game graphics, but EA Sports FC looks even closer to real-life football
That means a lot more variety in the animations and more authentic, believable virtual versions of specific players, with the AI learning how, say, Erling Haaland pumps his arms when he runs, then applying that same motion to his in-game model. Same deal with Sam Kerr’s post-goal acrobatics. What’s more, EA Sports FC 24 combines this with new technology that uses even more motion-captured data to simulate the bulk and movement of players’ muscles, and even how the fabric of their kit flows and ripples during play.
This doesn’t just mean that FC 24 looks better in those crucial close-up replays, but that its virtual players now have their real-world physiques, giving Adama Traoré his intimidating bulk as he tears right through your midfield. You can recognise Haaland or Mbappé by their build and run alone, without having to check the player name in the corner of the screen.
These changes aren’t superficial, as FC 24 goes even bigger on the realistic physical interactions between players that we saw in FIFA 23. When there’s an interception, a sliding tackle, or a collision over the ball, things can get messy fast, and you need to think about how you make space for that run, or how you stop a speeding striker breaking through. It’s often hard to retain possession, but equally hard to steal the ball. Rough or risky challenges tend to end in a yellow card.
FIFA 23 set a high bar for in-game graphics, but EA Sports FC looks even closer to real-life football, and also adds more dynamic pre-match intros and post-match sequences to build up a proper match-day atmosphere. You can even see post-match interviews and pundits talking to the camera while you work through the menus.
If you were worried that EA Sports might try to fix what wasn’t broken, don’t
How else does EA Sports FC 24 move on from FIFA 23?
Beyond all that motion-captured animation, EA Sports FC 24 is all about the play styles. EA Sports has worked with OPTA — a specialist in sports data analytics — to identify the key characteristics of the world’s leading players, and put them straight into the game.
You can see this in action in the way that a player like Mbappé can create their own space and then speed through defenders, holding onto the ball as they charge towards goal. The top players even have their own signature Play Style Plus to give them the advantage when they’re intercepting, passing, or dribbling — or just blasting the ball into the net.
Overall, FC 24 feels a lot like FIFA 23, but with new tools you can use to help you power through the opposition, or stop them dominating on the pitch. If you were worried that EA Sports might try to fix what wasn’t broken, don’t.
Does EA Sports FC 24 still have Ultimate Team?
EA wasn’t going to ditch its hugely successful dream team-building game mode, and EA Sports FC adds a new layer of depth. For the first time, players can choose how to upgrade and evolve their favourite football stars, building their skills and attributes to make the most of their potential — and make sure that their Harry Kane or Neymar won’t play quite like anyone else’s. You can even assign them their own Play Style moves.
What’s more, they won’t look like anyone else’s, either, with more cosmetic upgrades and branded items, plus even more for stadiums, with fire cannons and light banks to add drama to those big match events. Needless to say, EA Sports will be betting on players splashing out big bucks to get these must-have upgrades.
Meanwhile, women’s teams make their Ultimate Team debut, and you can even create your own mixed-sex squads. To help this happen, club-based chemistry works across both men’s and women’s teams in the same club. There’s a real sense with EA Sports FC 24 that women’s football isn’t an afterthought, but a core component of the game.
What other modes can we expect?
There’s no word of any story mode this year, but FC 24 still has the classic Player and Manager career modes, and they get their own big updates. Managers now get coaches that bring new tactical or skills boosts to teams and players, along with a new system of ‘tactical visions’ that change how your team works together on the pitch. You can also now prepare for individual matches by selecting drills designed to counter an opponent’s strengths or exploit their weaknesses.
Meanwhile, the Player career mode is all about becoming the greatest you can be, with agents to guide you on your transfers and your contracts, and a new career path with objectives you need to prioritise while you’re out there on the pitch.
Finally, the multiplayer Clubs mode returns with added cross-play, so that players playing on different consoles can work together to build a winning team. Six-week-long league seasons should keep the competition fierce throughout the year, and there are more tools to stamp your own identity on your club, including stadium and kit customisations. And, if you prefer a more casual style of online footie, the Volta street soccer 5 vs 5 mode is also back.
So, is EA Sports FC 24 basically FIFA 24 with a different brand name? In a way, but it also feels like a game that’s finding new ways to shake up console football. If FIFA 23 saw the old series leaving the pitch on a high, FC 24 comes off the bench raring to go, and eager to take on FIFA’s mantle.
