Welcome to the latest Deep Dive on EA SPORTS FC™ 25, where we're taking a look at FC IQ, the new tactical system designed to give you more strategic control and freedom while increasing gameplay variety. 

 

My name is Thomas Caleffi, and I am a Producer on EA SPORTS FC. Together with my colleagues Keegan Sabatino and Brae Thompson, we are excited to break down our approach to our new upgraded positional and tactical systems for FC 25.

 

Player Roles

Play like the world’s best

 

A new AI model powered by real-world data influences player tactics on the pitch through all-new Player Roles. The new Team Management system gives you an even better tactical understanding at both individual and team levels.

Team Tactics

Transform your team

An overhaul of team tactics modernises positioning across the pitch, reflecting real-world styles for better match-to-match variation. Plus, new tactical presets let you emulate your favorite manager's tactics at the click of a button.

Smart Tactics

Work smarter, not harder

All-new real-time suggestions and D-Pad functionalities make in-game tactical decision-making more accessible and intuitive than ever, and new broadcast features allow you to better experience the changes as they take effect.

FC IQ

FC IQ is the new core tactical and positional system for EA SPORTS FC 25.

FC IQ helps refresh our approach to tactics and positioning to let us create greater variety and authenticity in gameplay. A new AI model, powered by real-world data, influences player tactics through all-new Player Roles that we’ll be breaking down further throughout this Pitch Notes.

In EA SPORTS FC 25, we’re introducing FC IQ as the latest foundational pillar of gameplay innovation, sitting alongside HyperMotionV* and PlayStyles, and designed to bring a new level of team play to the virtual pitch. Thanks to real-world volumetric data from top teams and footballers, we built HyperMotionV, which helped us move forward with the visuals and authenticity of player movement on the pitch. Additionally, implementing PlayStyles last year allowed us to further showcase players' abilities and personalities on the ball.

We’ve seen our community ask for new updates to Tactics, and our intent is for FC IQ to shake up how players choose to play across all modes. 

This system is built on three main components: Player Roles, Team Tactics, and Smart Tactics. Each element is designed to enhance the game's strategic depth, with the goal of enabling a more nuanced and authentic football experience. Whether you’re setting up your team's formation or making tactical adjustments on the fly, FC IQ provides the tools you need to execute your vision on the pitch.

 

Now, let’s dive into Player Roles.

 

Player Roles

Player Roles guide how every player thinks, behaves, and moves off the ball. 

 

From Goalkeepers to Strikers, each position has specific Roles and Focuses that dictate player behavior, both with and without the ball.

With 31 Roles, each with 1-3 Focuses, totaling 52 unique combinations at launch, the possibilities are vast.

 

This system not only aims to add depth to player selection but also allows for a more personalized approach to team building and tactics.

You can think of our systems like this: HyperMotionV refers to the unique motion characteristics of players, OVR is the representation of physical and mental attributes, PlayStyles are the on-the-ball skills, and Roles are the off-the-ball abilities.

 

As part of FC IQ, Role Familiarity is designed to emphasize the importance of player expertise in their respective Roles. Our proprietary AI model, powered by real-world data, helps assign Familiarity levels to a majority of players, indicating their proficiency in a Role. Familiarity adds an extra layer of strategy to squad selection, with the goal of encouraging players to consider not only the position but also the specific Role a player excels in.

 

Roles also determine how your players line up with and without the ball, and you can see that reflected in the menus.

While a Role dictates the primary responsibilities of the player, the Focus is a modifier upon the Role that enables you to tweak one or two characteristics of it slightly. We will explore each of these Roles and Focuses below.

Position | Role - Focus:

• GK
  • Goalkeeper - Defend | Balanced
  • Sweeper Keeper - Balanced
• RB | LB
  • Fullback - Defend | Balanced
  • Wingback - Balanced
  • Falseback - Defend | Balanced
  • Attacking Winback - Balanced | Attack
• CB
  • Defender - Defend | Balanced
  • Stopper - Balanced
  • Ball-Playing Defender - Defend | Build-Up
• CDM
  • Holding - Defend | Roaming
  • Centre-Half - Defend
  • Deep-Lying Playmaker - Defend | Roaming
• CM
  • Box-to-Box - Balanced
  • Holding - Defend
  • Deep-Lying Playmaker - Defend
  • Playmaker - Attack | Roaming
  • Half-Winger - Balanced | Attack
• RM | LM
  • Winger - Balanced | Attack
  • Wide Midfielder - Defend | Balanced
  • Wide Playmaker - Attack
  • Inside Forward - Balanced | Attack
• CAM
  • Playmaker - Balanced | Roaming
  • Shadow Striker - Attack
  • Half-Winger - Balanced | Attack
• RW | LW
  • Winger - Balanced | Attack
  • Inside Forward - Balanced | Attack | Roaming
  • Wide Playmaker - Attack
• ST
  • Advanced Forward - Attack | Complete
  • Poacher - Attack
  • False 9 - Build-Up
  • Target Forward - Balanced | Attack | Wide

With the addition of FC IQ, note that the following elements have been replaced and are no longer present in FC 25:

• The CF and LWB/RWB positions
• Work Rate
• Player Instructions

 

Philosophy

Before we explore each Role, let’s discuss our philosophy for designing and building FC IQ and the Roles system.

Our goal is to emphasize Squad Building rather than just player positions. We want players to think like managers, balancing their team with players who fit their tactical system, and adjusting their tactics to suit their squad.

We want to enable you to start creating tactics from one of two general approaches:

• Create the tactic you want and find a player for it

OR

• Get your favorite players and build your tactics around them

We want FC players to think about how they can create cohesive tactics by using the individual players’ specialties (Role Familiarity) without sacrificing team cohesiveness. Think of this as a manager taking over a new team: It might take multiple transfer windows to get their squad set up the way they envision it, and meanwhile, they can have some versatile players deployed in Roles that better serve the team.

Either way, the balance between Roles and a cohesive tactic is an essential part of creating a strategy that suits your team.

It is okay, and even expected, to use players in a base Role if that better fits your tactic. At a minimum level, you need to match players to their preferred positions. The Familiarity system is designed to empower good tactical decisions but does not dictate them. We do not want to force coaches to use every player in a Role++ or a Role+. There needs to be a balance between tactics and individual performance, so we wanted to make base Roles viable as well.

Roles Breakdown

The Roles are based on positions, and any player in that position will have all Roles available to them, albeit at different Familiarity levels (more on that later).

The 52 different Player Roles allow you to choose the off-ball behavior of your players based on their authentic familiar Roles.

• The off-ball behaviors impact players whether they are attacking or defending.

It’s important to note that each Role is distinct, with positive aspects and potential drawbacks. Even Roles that might seem similar, like CM Playmaker and CAM Playmaker, have differences such as their Focus or where they will play.

Before we break down each Role and Focus, there are a few elements that will be present throughout this section, and while they could sound intimidating on their own, they’ll naturally click into place as you scroll down and see the visuals for yourself:

• Activity Maps will be representing where players play/move/are during gameplay. It portrays their Roles in both phases, attacking and defending.
  • There is a unique map per Position, Role, and Focus combination. So, a Left Box-to-Box CM has a different activity map from the Right Box-to-Box CM to best represent where they will play during the match.
• Characteristics: Four points illustrate 2 positive aspects, 1 neutral point, and 1 negative facet of the Role + Focus.

Striker (ST)

Advanced Forward

A versatile attacker who usually stays close to the opposition's defensive line but opens themselves up for passes in the build-up and makes runs in behind for scoring chances.

Focus: Attack, Complete

• Attack Focus: Attacking (+), Pass Option (+), Versatile (=), Limited Width (-)
• Complete Focus: Attacking (+), Versatile (+), Movement (=), Build-Up Support (-)

Other characteristics: stay forward, slow to come back, low interceptions

Poacher

This player has one objective: to score goals. They stay forward and focus on making runs in behind the defense, hoping to fashion a chance to score.

Focus: Attack

• Attack Focus: Attacking Runs (+), Support Centrally (+), Limited Width (=), Defence Support (-)

Other characteristics: get in behind, stay forward, slow to come back

False 9

Positioned in the forward line, this player drops deep to dictate play in the space in front of a defense. This also allows them to contribute to the defensive phases of the game.

Focus: Build-Up

• Build-Up Focus: Creative (+), Build-Up Support (+), Movement (=), Attacking (-)

Other characteristics: come short

Target Forward

An attacking outlet whose physicality allows them to hold up play, shielding the ball from opponents and bringing others into attacks. They feed on crosses as well as passes to feet.

Focus: Attack, Balanced, Wide

• Attack Focus: Physical (+), Attacking (+), Build-Up Support (=), Lacks Mobility (-)
• Balanced Focus: Physical (+), Build-Up Support (+), Defense Support (=), Lacks Mobility (-)
• Wide Focus: Physical (+), Wide Support (+), Attacking (=), Support Centrally (-)

Other characteristics: turn back into the opponent

Winger (RW/LW)

Winger

A wide midfielder who will always stay wide, hugging the touchline and offering support on the flanks in all phases of play. 

Focus: Attack, Balanced

• Attack Focus: Wide Support (+), Attack Support (+), Pass Option (=), Defending (-)
• Balanced Focus: Wide Support (+), Pass Option (+), Versatile (=), Stamina Usage (-)

Other characteristics: stay wide, overlap runs, underlap runs

Inside Forward

A wide attacker who begins on the wing but will regularly cut inside onto their preferred foot to shoot or play the final pass. They tend to run in behind the defense.

Focus: Attack, Balanced, Roaming

• Attack Focus: Attacking (+), Support Centrally (+), Cut Inside (=), Defence Support (-)
• Balanced Focus: Attack Support (+), Pass Option (+), Cut Inside (=), Stamina Usage (-)
• Roaming Focus: Movement (+), Attack Support (+), Cut Inside (=), Out of Position (-)

Other characteristics: underlap runs

Wide Playmaker

A creative outlet positioned out wide but able to move inside to help create chances to unlock defenses.

Focus: Attack

• Attack Focus: Creative (+), Attack Support (+), Wide Support (=), Defence Support (-)

Other characteristics: stay wide, underlap runs, slow to come back

Attacking Midfielder (CAM)

Playmaker

This player tends to be the creative fulcrum of a midfield, given a license to roam and create space and opportunities for attacks. They are likely to be out of position if the opposition counters.

Focus: Balanced, Roaming

• Balanced Focus: Creative (+), Versatile (+), Pass Option (=), Stamina Usage (-)
• Roaming Focus: Creative (+), Movement (+), Out of Position (=), Defence Support (-)

Other characteristics: come short, low interceptions

Shadow Striker

An attack-minded midfielder who plays in the 'hole' behind the strikers. Their well-timed runs into the box will result in plenty of goal-scoring opportunities.

Focus: Attack

• Attack Focus: Attacking Runs (+), Support Centrally (+), Stamina Usage (=), Defence Support (-)

Other characteristics: stay forward, get in the box, slow to come back

Half-Winger

A midfielder who provides width when their team is in possession, moving along the flanks to offer a wide threat. It is particularly effective in a midfield three.

Focus: Balanced, Attack

Note: A central Half-Winger will tend to move to the side of their weak foot. A left-sided Half-Winger will move to the left, while a right-sided Half-Winger will go to the right.

• Attack Focus: Wide Support (+), Attacking (+), Out of Position (=), Defence Support (-)
• Balanced Focus: Wide Support (+), Versatile (+), Movement (=), Stamina Usage (-)

Other characteristics: stay wide, overlap runs, underlap runs

Wide Midfielder (RM/LM)

Winger

A wide midfielder who will always stay wide, hugging the touchline and offering support on the flanks in all phases of play. 

Focus: Balanced, Attack

• Attack Focus: Wide Support (+), Attack Support (+), Pass Option (=), Defending (-)
• Balanced Focus: Wide Support (+), Pass Option (+), Versatile (=), Stamina Usage (-)

Other characteristics: stay wide, get in behind, overlap runs, underlap runs

Wide Midfielder

A midfielder who stays wide to facilitate play, providing passing and defensive support, but rarely ventures forward to attack.

Focus: Balanced, Defend

• Balanced Focus: Wide Support (+), Versatile (+), Pass Option (=), Lacks Mobility (-)
• Defend Focus: Wide Support (+), Stays Back (+), Pass Option (=), Attack Support (-)

Other characteristics: stay wide, stay in line

Wide Playmaker

A creative outlet positioned out wide but able to move inside to help create chances to unlock defenses.

Focus: Attack

• Attack Focus: Creative (+), Attack Support (+), Wide Support (=), Defence Support (-)

Other characteristics: come short, stay forward, low interception, slow to come back

Inside Forward

A wide attacker who begins on the wing but will regularly cut inside onto their preferred foot to shoot or play the final pass. They tend to run in behind the defense.

Focus: Balanced, Attack

• Attack Focus: Attacking (+), Support Centrally (+), Cut Inside (=), Defence Support (-)
• Balanced Focus: Attack Support (+), Pass Option (+), Cut Inside (=), Stamina Usage (-)

Other characteristics: underlap runs

Centre Midfielder (CM)

Box-to-Box

This player operates between the two boxes, being neither the last line of defense nor the final part of the attack but involved in everything in between.

Focus: Balanced

• Balanced Focus: Attack Support (+), Defence Support (+), Versatile (=), Stamina Usage (-)

Other characteristics: stay central, cover center, get forward, come back on defense

Holding

A pivotal role in modern football, this defense-minded midfielder focuses on guarding their backline during attacks and covering off against counter-attacks, with limited attacking support.

Focus: Defend

• Defend Focus: Defending (+), Stays Back (+), Pass Option (=), Lacks Mobility (-)

Other characteristics: stay central, cover center, aggressive interceptions

Deep-Lying Playmaker

This defensively positioned midfielder is the key cog to building up play from the back and will often be the catalyst for attacks.

Focus: Defend

• Defend Focus: Defending (+), Creative (+), Intercepts Passes (=), Attacking (-)

Other characteristics: stay central, cover center, stay in line

Playmaker

This player tends to be the creative fulcrum of a midfield, given a license to roam and create space and opportunities for attacks. They are likely to be out of position if the opposition counters.

Focus: Attack, Roaming

• Attack Focus: Creative (+), Attack Support (+), Limited Width (=), Defence Support (-)
• Roaming Focus: Creative (+), Movement (+), Out of Position (=), Defence Support (-)

Other characteristics: cover center, slow to come back, low interceptions

Half-Winger

A midfielder who provides width when their team is in possession, moving along the flanks to offer a wide threat. It is particularly effective in a midfield three.

Focus: Attack, Balanced

Note: A central Half-Winger will tend to move to the side of their weak foot. A left-sided Half-Winger will move to the left, while a right-sided Half-Winger will go to the right.

• Balanced Focus: Wide Support (+), Versatile (+), Movement (=), Stamina Usage (-)
• Attack Focus: Wide Support (+), Attacking (+), Out of Position (=), Defence Support (-)

Other characteristics: stay wide, overlap runs, underlap runs

Defensive Midfielder (CDM)

Holding

A pivotal role in modern football, this defense-minded midfielder focuses on guarding their backline during attacks and covering off against counter-attacks, with limited attacking support.

Focus: Defend, Roaming

• Defend Focus: Defending (+), Stays Back (+), Pass Option (=), Lacks Mobility (-)
• Roaming Focus: Defending (+), Movement (+), Pass Option (=), Stamina Usage (-)

Other characteristics: stays back

Centre Half

A defensive midfielder who will drop between the centre-backs while their team is in possession to offer protection against the counterattack.

Focus: Defend

• Defend Focus: Defending (+), Support Centrally (+), Limited Versatility (=), Wide Support (-)

Other characteristics: stays back, drop between defenders, cover center

Deep-Lying Playmaker

This defensively positioned midfielder is the key cog to building up play from the back and will often be the catalyst for attacks.

Focus: Defend, Roaming

• Defend Focus: Defending (+), Creative (+), Intercepts Passes (=), Attacking (-)
• Roaming Focus: Creative (+), Movement (+), Pass Option (=), Out of Position (-)

Other characteristics: cut passing lanes

Full-Back (RB/LB)

Fullback

A wide defender that will prioritize protecting their own goal by staying back, holding the defensive line, and offering a passing option to release pressure.

Focus: Defend, Balanced

• Defend Focus: Stays Back (+), Defending (+), Limited Versatility (=), Wide Support (-)
  • Joins the CBs
• Balanced Focus: Defending (+), Stays Back (+), Pass Option (=), Attack Support (-)

Other characteristics: sprint back to defend, stay wide, drop to support

Falseback

A modern evolution of the fullback, this player pushes up the field, adopting a central position, when their team has the ball.

Focus: Defend, Balanced

• Defend Focus: Defending (+), Build-Up Support (+), Limited Width (=), Out of Position (-)
  • Plays as a CDM
• Balanced Focus: Build-Up Support (+), Defence Support (+), Limited Width (=), Out of Position (-)
  • Plays as a CM

Other characteristics: stays back, inverted run, no forward runs

Wingback

This player's versatility and stamina allows them to push upfield to support attacks before returning to their defensive position.

Focus: Balanced

• Balanced Focus: Wide Support (+), Movement (+), Versatile (=), Stamina Usage (-)

Other characteristics: stay wide, overlap run, underlap run, drop to support, sprint back to defend

Attacking Wingback

Though technically a defender, this player will be more concerned with getting forward and offering width to their team's attacks.

Focus: Balanced, Attack

• Balanced Focus: Wide Support (+), Attacking (+), Stamina Usage (=), Defending (-)
• Attack Focus: Attacking (+), Wide Support (+), Out of Position (=), Defending (-)

Other characteristics: join the attack, stay wide, overlap run, underlap run, slow to come back

Centre-Back (CB)

Defender

A no-nonsense centre-back who excels at the basics of defending, including maintaining the defensive line.

Focus: Defend, Balanced

• Defend Focus: Stays Back (+), Defending (+), Limited Versatility (=), Pass Option (-)
• Balanced Focus: Defending (+), Stays Back (+), Limited Versatility (=), Limited Width (-)

Other characteristics: No forward runs

Stopper

A ball-winning centre-back who will step forward from the defensive line to make tackles, intercept passes, and lead the press.

Focus: Balanced

• Balanced Focus: Defending (+), Pressure (+), Aggressiveness (=), Leave Gaps (-)

Other characteristics: stay back, step up, aggressive interception

Ball-Playing Defender

A modern centre-back who is as comfortable playing offside as well as playing the ball, and capable of moving forward or wider to support build-up play.

Focus: Defend, Build-Up

• Defend Focus: Defending (+), Build-Up Support (+), Stays Back (=), Leave Gaps (-)
• Build-Up Focus: Build-Up Support (+), Defence Support (+), Versatile (=), Out of Position (-)

Other characteristics: —

Goalkeeper (GK)

Goalkeeper

A traditional goalkeeper who stays on their line and focuses on shot-stopping.

Focus: Defend, Balanced

• Defend Focus: Stays in Position (+), Defending (+), Low Risk (=), Rush (-)
• Balanced Focus: Stays in Position (+), Defending (+), Some Risk (=), Rush (-)

Other characteristics: —

Sweeper Keeper

A modern goalkeeper who is able to stop attacks and support build-up play as a passing option.

Focus: Balanced

• Balanced Focus: Rush (+), Pass Option (+), Some Risk (=), Stay in Position (-)

Other characteristics: —

With and Without Ball

One crucial aspect of FC IQ is that players have different movements and behaviors when their team has the ball and when it doesn’t.

Your team's formation determines how your team defends when you do not have the ball. When you lose possession, your players will look to return to the formation position to defend. Of course, depending on Tactical Settings, Role Familiarity, and each player’s Focus, that transition might be quicker or slower.

• Keep in mind that while Roles do not directly affect the “without the ball” view, they have a significant impact when defending.

While you cannot choose a different formation for when you have the ball or the exact formation position of your players when transitioning to attack, the Roles directly impact that, similar to how a real world player might interpret the instructions given by their manager.

Player Roles determine how players behave and move during possession. This allows players to move from their original formation positions and enables some nuanced strategies and asymmetrical formations that were not previously possible.

• Our goal is for you to have fun figuring out the different aspects and intricacies of the new tactics and Roles, while making interesting choices and surprising your opponents with unexpected ways to play.
• We are adding more authentic possibilities to the game and giving you more control where possible to create new tactical approaches.
• All Roles have positive and negative aspects, so while some might contribute a lot during the attacking phase, they might take more time to come back on defense. This allows for more meaningful choices between the Roles.

Use the RS (Right Stick) to change between the With Ball and Without Ball views.

Role Familiarity

Each player will have a Role Familiarity that allows them to perform their duties at a higher capacity than other players. A majority of Familiar Roles are assigned with help from a proprietary AI model that uses real-world data.

While the Roles are determined per position, Familiarity is connected to specific players and acts on the Role level.

Familiarity is position-based, meaning that if a player has that position as one of their preferred ones, they can play any role in that position. This logic applies to any position a player might have.

These are the four levels of Familiarity in FC 25:

• [Role] - A base role means the player can play that Role.
  • They are competent in that Role.
• [Role+] - Indicated with a ‘+’ sign, which means this player is accomplished in the Role.
  • Every player in FC 25 has at least one Role+.
• [Role++] - A ‘++’ sign indicates the player is a world-class player in this role.
• Out of Position - The yellow exclamation mark indicates a simplified version of the Role when the player is out of position.

 

Role Differences

When creating the three main levels of Role Familiarity, we wanted to ensure that regular Roles were viable. So, players can play a Role at their base level without compromising too much on their tactical approach.

To create your strategy's core, you only need to match players to their preferred position.

Of course, having a Role+ or Role++ will heighten the effects of every player and, in turn, maximize your tactic. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to sacrifice tactic cohesiveness for Role+ or Role++ players.

Another aspect to remember is that just because the player is familiar with a specific Role in a position does not mean they will be familiar with a similar Role in another. For example, the player below is a Playmaker++ as a CAM but is only a regular Playmaker as a CM.

Role Familiarity affects the following aspects of gameplay:

• Attack vs Defense Tactical Intelligence 
  • The better the familiarity, the better players understand their core role responsibilities in terms of Attack versus Defense.
  • Examples of this aspect with a Poacher with an Attack Focus.
    • A Poacher++ will focus solely on attacking.
    • A Poacher+ will put most of their effort into attack.
    • A base Poacher will attempt to attack but may sometimes not put all their effort into it.
    • An out-of-position Poacher may slack on their attacking duties.
• Attributes Used for Positioning
  • Before FC IQ, we used either the Positioning Attribute or Defensive Awareness Attribute to determine how good the AI players were in the system (in any calculation required).
  • Now, instead of just Positioning or Defensive Awareness, we also use Familiarity in every formula. 
    • The rate at which we use Familiarity varies from context to context, but it can account for 10% to 40% of the result.
• Behavior Options
  • Players have more options and improved behaviors the higher the level of familiarity they possess in the Role.
  • Attacking Behaviors
    • Types of attacking runs
    • Selecting the best spot to make a run
    • Select the best spot to position themselves
    • Better support range
    • Timing of attacking runs
    • Better notion of space for positions and runs
  • Defensive Behaviors
    • Marking reaction time, Marking distance
    • Cover distance, smart angle marking, press tightness
    • Run tracking, covering position
    • Perception of other players
• Transition
  • How quickly a player transitions from Attacking to Defensive responsibilities.
  • How quickly a player transitions from Defensive to Attacking responsibilities.
  • The lower the Familiarity the longer it takes for players to transition.

Our goal is to tune the system so that a Role at a base level can still be viable to unlock a good team strategy.

Out of Position

While every level of Role should be viable, the same cannot be said for Players Out of Position. A player is considered Out of Position when they are assigned to a position that is not among their preferred ones.

In terms of Roles, you will see a yellow exclamation mark, meaning that the Role and Focus assigned to a player are simplified.

Our intent with the Out of Position signifier is to help you understand that a player's natural abilities will clash with what you're asking them to do in the match and that these situations should be avoided to get the most out of your team and your tactic.

Out of Position players will still be able to play that position but at a much lower quality than someone who is designed to be there. This allows you to still use these players but they might not fit the ideal tactic you are trying to create.

Keep in mind that positional requirements are strict, meaning a Left-Winger cannot play as a Ring-Winger unless they have that position. In the example below, Vini Jr is considered out of position when assigned to a CAM or RW position.

Even players with a similar Role in another position, like an LM Winger, might still be out of position as an LW Winger if they do not have that position listed as their preferred one.

Player Swap

You can press Triangle/Y to swap around players in your lineup. 

While their Roles remain in place, keep an eye out for their Familiarity, which can be different in the new Position/Role.

Team Tactics

FC IQ also introduces Team Tactics inspired by the strategies used by the world's top football tacticians. This enables us to represent real-world styles more closely and allows gameplay to be more varied from match to match.

From formation settings to defensive approaches, Team Tactics gives you more control over creating your own strategy and sharing it with your friends.

 

Formation

Formations are still fundamental in FC 25, and while they do not heavily dictate your style of play as much as they did in the past, they play a vital role in determining what positions and Roles you have available for your tactic.

The formation you choose is how your team defends and lines up when they don’t have the ball, so keep that in mind. Also, remember that Roles influence players' behavior even in your base formation.

One of our goals with FC IQ was to make the same formations available across the game, regardless of the mode. Because of that, Player Roles, and due to the removal of CF, RWB, and LWB, we’ve also made several adjustments to formations:

• Removed
  • 4-4-1-1 Atk (Other variations are available)
  • 4-3-3 (5)
  • 5-2-2-1
  • 5-4-1 Diamond (Other variations are available)
  • 5-1-2-1-1
  • 3-5-1-1
  • 3-4-3 Diamond (Other variations are available)
• Adjusted
  • 4-3-2-1 - 2 CF replaced by 2 CAM
  • 3-4-2-1 - 2 CF replaced by 2 CAM
  • 5-3-2 - RWB/LWB replaced by RB/LB
  • 5-2-3 - RWB/LWB replaced by RB/LB
  • 5-2-1-2 - RWB/LWB replaced by RB/LB

Tactical Settings

One of our biggest goals for Tactical Settings is to revamp the system, removing what didn’t work well and enabling us to spread the team settings into other areas.

For example, the Roles now determine your team's width, directly affect your chance creation, and also help inform what type of pressure the players exert.

We also created some new settings, combining a few existing ones with a new flair: Defensive Approach and Build-Up Play.

As a result of all the changes, the following settings have been transformed or removed from the game:

• Removed
  • Defensive Width
  • Chance Creation
  • Attacking Width
  • Pressure
  • Players in Box
  • Players in Corners
  • Players in Free Kicks
• Transformed
  • Defensive Style
  • Defensive Depth
  • Build-Up Play

Defensive Approach

FC 25 has four Defensive Approaches, which combine Line Height/Depth, Pressure, and Run Tracking. 

Each Defensive Approach is directly connected to your team's Line Height, which you can manually adjust between specific values. The higher the line, the higher up the field your defensive line sits.

Here is how each approach affects your team:

• Deep - A safety-first approach, with the defensive line dropping deeper to mark the opposition.
  • Line Height values: 1 - 30
  • Line Height default: 25
  • Run Tracking: line will drop with runs
  • Pressure: none
• Balanced - This approach gives the defense flexibility on how deep they drop and which runs to track.
  • Line Height values: 31 - 60
  • Line Height default: 50
  • Run Tracking: line is flexible to track runs
  • Pressure: none
• High - A riskier approach to defending, applying situational pressure, and adopting a high line that tends not to track opposition runs.
  • Line Height values: 61 - 90
  • Line Height default: 70
  • Run Tracking: line rarely tracks runs
  • Pressure: minimal
• Aggressive - The most front-footed defensive approach, adopting a high line that focuses on applying the press immediately after losing possession and setting offside traps.
  • Line Height values: 91 - 100
  • Line Height default: 95
  • Run Tracking: line will never track runs; lines steps up to keep highest line possible
  • Pressure on heavy touch
  • Extra stamina drain

 

Build-Up Style

There are three Build-Up Styles in FC 25, which determine your team’s priority when moving forward and up the pitch when in possession of the ball. The Build-Up Style also determines the base time it takes to transition from the defensive to the attacking phase (the Role Familiarity further impacts that).

This allows your team to rush forward and prioritize a quick attack (potentially good for when you need an immediate goal) or take their time to build up the play with more passes and focus on possession (potentially good for when you are under pressure).

An easy way to think about Build-Up styles is that they dictate how quickly your team goes from their own third into the opponent’s third.

Here is how each style affects your team:

• Short Passing: Players will come short to support the ball carrier rather than make forward runs. This more cautious approach allows the team to maintain its defensive shape for longer during the transition.
  • Build-up characteristic: come short
  • Transition time: patient
• Balanced: Players will vary between forward runs and coming short. The team's transition to their in-possession shape will be steady rather than sudden.
  • Build-up characteristic: mixed
  • Transition time: normal
• Counter: This approach encourages players to get in behind the opposition's defense as the team transitions quickly from defense to attack.
  • Build-up characteristic: forward runs
  • Transition time: quick

Tactical Presets

Presets allow you to set your team up quickly and are inspired by modern football tactics.

They allow you to easily represent more real-world styles of play in Career Mode for example, and quickly let you replicate your Manager’s tactics in Ultimate Team.

Presets are designed to be ideal for new players who are unfamiliar with, or are simply less interested, in customizing their tactics. 

For more experienced players, Presets are a great way to create a starting point for your own tactics.

In FC 25, there are a few base Presets (in specific modes like Kick-Off) and special Presets that are suggested during gameplay with the Tactical Suggestions (more info in the Smart Tactics section).

Here is a look at the base Presets of FC 25:

• FC Preset - A direct approach that focuses on breaking down defenses with quick and incisive attacking runs.
  • Formation - 4-3-3 Flat
  • Settings - Balanced Build-Up Style, Balanced Defensive Approach
  • Key Roles - Playmaker CM, Inside Forward RW, Winger LW, Wingback RB
• Direct Play - Front-footed tactics that are all about recovering possession, getting forward, and putting the ball in the back of the net.
  • Formation - 4-1-4-1
  • Settings - Balanced Build-Up Style, High Defensive Approach
  • Key Roles - Falseback CDMs, Playmaker CMs
• Cautious - A cautious approach that asks the team to prioritize limiting the opposition's chances rather than creating their own.
  • Formation - 4-1-2-1-2 Narrow
  • Settings - Counter Build-Up Style, Deep Defensive Approach
  • Key Roles - Box to Box CMs, Poacher STs

Custom Preset - Incompatible Settings

Changing anything on a Preset will result in your Present changing to Custom. An incompatible setting, meaning it breaks out of the Preset, is marked by a broken chain symbol.

In most modes, there is no downside to using a Custom Preset, except for Career Mode, so remember to look at the in-game prompts. 

You will receive a warning popup once you try to save a tactic with an incompatible setting. Accepting will save your tactic and change the Preset to Custom, while dismissing it will discard your changes.

Team Tactics Menu

Reset Tactic

When editing a tactic and changing settings, you can save or discard your changes midway through. 

There’s also the Reset Tactic function that appears after you save or discard your changes. 

Resetting a tactic will put it back in the state it had once you entered the tactic screen. This means that no matter how many times you save your tactics, this button will revert them back to their original state. You can think of it like a massive undo button.

Bear in mind that leaving the Team Tactics menu will permanently save your tactics.

Team Views

You can also access the With Ball and Without Ball views in the Team Tactics menu. They are the same as in Player Roles, and you can see how your Tactics Function with and without the ball.

Use the RS (Right Stick) to change between the With Ball and Without Ball views.

Tactical Summary

There is also dynamic feedback on your tactic that analyzes the team, your tactical settings, and your player’s Roles.

After analyzing these aspects, you will see three positive aspects of your tactic and three areas for improvement. There will always be three strong points and three weaknesses.

The Summary breaks down six aspects: Attack, Defence, Width, Endurance, Length, and Build-Up.

• Attack and Defence are based on how many Positions, Roles, and Focus you have that prioritize these aspects. It’s possible to have a great balance between them and thus have a team that is good at both.
• Width represents how wide your team is in possession and out of possession. Things like your formation, the Roles assigned, and how much wide attacking support or wide defensive coverage you have are all important.
• Endurance is how much your tactic relies on your players constantly moving to different positions during the various phases of play. The differences between a position with and without the ball and certain Focuses (i.e. Roaming) all have a significant impact.
• Length is how spread out your team is lengthwise. It considers your Defensive Approach, the line height, and the space difference between strikes and defenders.
• Lastly, Build-Up is how much emphasis your team puts on building attacks. Some relevant elements here are pass lanes available, the proximity of Roles, the creativity of Roles, and the chosen Build-Up Style.

Custom Tactics

In FC IQ, you can have up to five custom tactics. This means that the gameplan/mentality system from previous titles has been overhauled.

Each Custom Tactic can have a custom name and can have its own formation, tactical settings, and Player Roles. The only thing shared between them is the lineup.

In the custom tactics menu, you have the following options:

• New Tactic - Create a new tactic from scratch, using the team’s default or a generic tactic.
• Use Code - Import a new tactic from a Code (more info below).
• Edit - Go into the tactic and edit all the aspects of it
• Activate - Make it your active tactic, the one you will use during gameplay.
  • If you do this in-game, your team will switch to that tactic.
• Manage Tactic
  • Rename - Change the name of your tactic.
  • Duplicate - Copy your tactic. It goes to the end of your list and you can have no more than five tactics.
  • Delete - Delete your tactic, but you always have to have 1.

 

Check out the Smart Tactics section later in the article to learn how Custom Tactics work in-game.

Code

Knowing that we have a large community that enjoys sharing their custom tactics with each other, we created a shareable code system for each tactic.

Each tactic has a Code that is generated automatically and can easily be shared with friends or followers.

The Code is 11 digits long and contains the Formation, Build-Up Style, Defensive Awareness, and the 11 Roles and Focuses chosen. The Tactic name is not part of the Code.

The Code is universal; it works between any mode, console, and generation. For example, an Ultimate Team player on PS5 can share their code with their friend who plays Kick-Off on Nintendo Switch or their sibling who plays Career Mode on PC.

To use a Code, select the tile that says Import Tactic in the Custom Tactics menu, and type in the code that was shared with you.

 

Team Management

As part of FC IQ, we also updated Team Management to improve the general experience and bring some quality of life upgrades to FC 25.

TM Squad

We created a brand new player info view that showcases more information about each player at a glance. The new view also includes things like PlayStyles and Roles.

The comparison view between players still exists and activates once you select two players.

There are also updates to the existing tabs:

• Attributes - Redistributed/re-ordered some Attributes for easier reading. 
• PlayStyles - Now contains a description of each PlayStyle that the player has.

We’ve also added a brand new Familiar Roles tab that showcases all Roles+ and Roles++ of the selected player.

During gameplay, you will also notice the number of substitutions remaining (and total) and the number of substitution windows remaining.

As a refresher, while most competitions allow for 5 substitutions (which can vary), there are only 3 opportunities to sub players in the game, called substitutions windows.

TM Bench

Players will now have (9) available bench slots depending on the mode and the competition, with the aim of enabling more flexibility regarding mid-match tactical changes.

The increased bench size is only available in specific modes and on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

TM Assignments

This menu was called Roles in the past, but it has been renamed Assignments and redesigned.

With the update, we added three new Corner Kicks Instructions: Target Player, Near Post, and Back Post.

• The Corner Kick Instructions are not always available in all modes.

These assignments allow you to select players to fill three critical locations during corner kicks:

• Near Post: The player selected here will be the primary post watcher on the defensive corner and make the near post run on the offensive corner.
• Back Post: The player selected here will be on the far side of the defensive corner and make a back post run on the offensive corner.
• Target Player: This player will be centrally in the box on the offensive corner.

You can see a defensive corner below with van Dijk on the near post and Konaté on the back post.

Smart Tactics

Smart Tactics are designed to make in-game tactical decisions more approachable and intuitive while integrating tactics more fully into the match experience.

We’ve created a new system that provides tactical suggestions based on the match's flow, allowing for quick adjustments that can change the course of the game. Smart Tactics aims to help players quickly adapt to any situation with simple directional pad presses and animated visuals signifying tactical changes. 

Additionally, we’ve been able to add the much-requested ability to perform tactical changes at many different moments during the game, such as during a goal kick, during celebrations, foul scenes or shots replays.

My Tactics

Pressing Left on the directional buttons calls the My Tactics menu during FC 25 matches.

This menu shows you your Custom Tactics along with their names and formations. 

To select which tactic to change to, you can simply press the corresponding direction. Your active/current tactic will always be on top of the list.

After requesting a change, you might see a “Tactical Change in Progress” message, meaning that your tactics have not yet taken effect. The message will disappear when your tactics transition has finished. Note that players can’t teleport into new positions and roles on your newly selected tactic, similar to how tactical changes in a real-world match can’t take place in an instant.

The changes will happen quicker if the ball goes out of play or the tactical change is made out of play.

To cancel a request while in progress, return to the My Tactics menu and re-select your previous tactic.

Tactical Focus

Pressing Right on the Directional Buttons calls the Tactical Focus menu.

This menu shows your team’s current tactical focus and has 3 options: Default, Attacking, and Defending.

Instead of completely changing your tactic, the Tactical Focus modifies your current tactic, respecting the formation and Roles that you have selected.

The following elements are affected by the Tactical Focus change:

• Focus
• Build-Up Style
• Defensive Approach

Before diving into how the Focus is impacted, let’s explain the Build-Up and Defensive Approach.

Selecting “Attacking” as your Tactical Focus will increase the Build-Up by 1 level and push up your Defensive Approach by 1 level.

• Example 1: You have a Balanced Build-Up and a Balanced Defensive Approach. After selecting your Tactical Focus as Attacking, your Build-Up will become Counter, and your Defensive Approach will change to High.
• Example 2: You have a Short Passing Build-Up and a High Defensive Approach. After selecting your Tactical Focus as Attacking, your Build-Up will become Balanced, and your Defensive Approach will change to Aggressive.

Selecting “Defending” as your Tactical Focus will decrease the Build-Up by 1 level and push down your Defensive Approach by 1 level.

• Example 1: You have a Balanced Build-Up and a Balanced Defensive Approach. After selecting your Tactical Focus as Defending, your Build-Up will become Short Passing, and your Defensive Approach will change to Deep.
• Example 2: You have Counter Build-Up and Aggressive Defensive Approach. After selecting your Tactical Focus as Defending, your Build-Up will become Balanced, and your Defensive Approach will change to High.

All changes to Tactical Focus are temporary and can be reverted by selecting the Default option on the Tactical Focus menu.

After requesting a change, you might see the Focus Change in Progress message again, until your updated Focus takes effect.

Note that Tactical Focus does not change the Roles but instead changes the Focus of the Role of every one of your players.

Similarly to how it impacts the settings, selecting Attacking changes ALL your Role Focuses to be more offensive, and selecting Defending changes ALL your Focuses to be more Defensive.

Here is a quick breakdown of the changes (if both Focus are available):

• Attacking
  • Defend -> Balanced
  • Balanced -> Attack
  • Defend -> Build-Up
  • Defend -> Roaming
  • Roaming -> Attack (for CM Playmaker) or Attack -> Roaming (for RW/LW Inside Forward)
  • Balanced -> Roaming
  • Attack -> Complete
• Defending
  • Balanced -> Defend
  • Attack -> Balanced
  • Build-Up -> Defend
  • Roaming -> Defend
  • Attack -> Roaming (for CM Playmaker)
  • Roaming -> Balanced
  • Complete -> Attack
  • Wide -> Balanced

When a player is already at a more defensive Focus when requested to change to a Defending Tactical Focus, there will be no impact to their Focus.

Quick Tactics

Pressing Up on the Directional Buttons calls the Quick Tactics menu.

There are four popular options you can implement:

• [Up] Offside Trap
• [Left] Team Press
• [Right] Overload Set Pieces (new)
• [Down] Get In Box

Get in Box, Team Press, and Offside Trap are returning options from previous titles. However, Overload Set Pieces is a new toggle and increases the number of players in the box during Free Kicks and Corner Kicks.

Get In Box only applies during possession, while Team Press and Offside Trap are only enabled out of possession. Overload Set Pieces can be enabled at any moment except during a Set Piece itself.

Due to the revamp of the directional tactical menu, the following directional commands have been removed:

• Attacking Full Backs
• Hug Sideline
• Extra Striker
• Striker Drop Back
• Overload Ball Side

Tactical Suggestions

As briefly mentioned before, we created a real-time tactical suggestion system that suggests tactical changes based on the match's flow.

Many factors are considered, including the scoreline, match importance, current time, red cards, and even match stats including but not limited to, possession and xG. 

Prompts that remind you when new suggestions are available and give you context for those suggestions will pop up at crucial moments with specific suggestions. These prompts can also be disabled in the settings.

You can access the Tactical Suggestions menu by pressing down on their directional button.

You will always have 2 suggested Tactics, like Tiki-Taka or Counter Attack, then either 1 Tactical Focus or an extra suggested Tactic, and access to the Substitutions menu.

The suggested tactics will completely change your tactics (including formation and Roles) and will override your current tactic if you don’t have an empty custom tactic for the duration of the match.

The following suggestions may appear:

• Balanced - A structured approach that aims to maintain team shape to stay strong defensively while still being able to construct attacks.
• Tiki-Taka - This approach demands that the entire team be comfortable on the ball, as it uses short passing and constant rotations to create space for attacks.
• Long Ball - A direct approach that gets the ball forward quickly, relying on the strength and athleticism of powerful forwards to exploit space behind defenders and battle for second balls and rebounds.
• Counter Attack - This approach sees the team sit back and defend the area before rapidly breaking when possession is regained.
• Wing Play - This approach uses the entire width of the pitch, switching play to wide positions and overloading the flanks to create crossing opportunities.
• Park the Bus - Disciplined and well-organized defending, with a compact defensive line to prevent opposition attacks.
• Pressing - Your team will attempt to win back the ball quickly and high up the pitch, using fast turnovers to create goalscoring opportunities.

To cancel a tactical change, select that suggestion again in the Tactical Suggestions menu.

Substitutions Menu

Inside the Tactical Suggestions menu, you can press down on your directional button to access the new substitutions menu.

This new menu will show your Suggested Subs, Custom Subs, or a mixture of both and can display up to four entries at a time.

Simply press the directional button desired to request that sub. You can press as many as you want, and to cancel them you can press the same direction again.

Before going into the menu, you can see the number of subs and sub windows remaining. Note that running out of subs or sub windows will make this menu inaccessible.

Broadcast / Presentation

We wanted to reinforce tactics in FC 25 with compelling visuals and commentary to make them more integrated element of matches.

 

As a result, we’ve created a Chalkboard system that shows up in place of the radar after any tactical change is requested. There are three different chalkboards you may see:

• My Tactics Chalkboard - After changing to a custom tactic, the chalkboard will show the formation and highlight a few Players with Role+/++.
• Tactical Focus Chalkboard - There is a different chalkboard for each Focus request visualizing what the requested Focus aims to accomplish.
• Tactical Suggestions Chalkboard - After accepting a suggested tactic, the chalkboard will show the formation and highlight the defining positions for the new tactic.

To go along with the Chalkboard highlights, we also use AR elements to highlight critical players on the pitch. You can disable both in the settings.

The commentators will also highlight and analyze key tactical changes. The commentators speak to and recognize tactical modifications made during the flow of the match.

Eval Engine

To better showcase the playing position of players in your team and how they engage with each other, we added a new Pass Map in the stats screen during a match.

The Pass Map will show every player who participated in the match, including substitutes. The size of a player’s circle is determined by the number of passes that players made relative to others on your team, with bigger circles representing more passes.

We're excited to see how FC IQ will change the way you approach matches and the tactical changes you make in them. FC IQ represents a significant step forward in our ongoing effort to deliver a football experience that's as authentic and fun as possible, and we can’t wait to hear your feedback on it. Thank you for taking the time to check out this Deep Dive and we’ll see you on the pitch when EA SPORTS FC launches on September 27. 

 

• The EA SPORTS FC Team