College football fans will get their first in-depth look at EA Sports College Football 25 on Friday.
ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit, who is also a voice in the video game, shared on Thursday that the deep dive into gameplay will drop Friday. According to EA’s YouTube page, the breakdown will drop at 10:55 a.m. ET on Friday.
The original EA college football video game franchise ran from 1998 until 2013. Moving from the Bill Walsh College Football moniker to NCAA Football, the annual game was eventually discontinued. Lawsuits emerged, most notably former UCLA basketball player Ed O’Bannon and 19 others’ decision to sue the NCAA, arguing the organization violated United States antitrust laws by not allowing athletes to make a share of the revenues generated from the use of their in broadcasts and video games.
The franchise has been dormant for more than a decade and is slated to be released on July 19. Available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, EA announced gamers will have three editions to pick from. The standard base game costs $69.99. The deluxe edition allows three-day early access and a slew of perks, priced at $99.99. The MVP bundle is priced at $149.99 and includes an early release for EA Sports College Football 25 and Madden. The video game will not be offered on PC.
“With these deep dives, we’re going to be able to learn more about what this game has to offer besides incredible graphics, the traditions and all those kinds of things,” Herbstreit said. “The first one drops tomorrow, hope you enjoy it. We’re getting closer to the game coming.”
What do we know about gameplay?
Dynasty Mode is back. Players can create a coach, pick one of the 134 FBS schools in the game and build up a program. Recruiting will include high school and transfer portal recruits. Gamers can also create a new school through teambuilder.
As expected, Road To Glory is also making the return. Players can create an individual player and live the college experience. Similar to past games, players will manage weekly schedules, GPA and image. Coach Trust will be imperative for playing time. And in a new wrinkle, players can enter the transfer portal.
“Dynasty Mode returns to allow gamers to turn themselves into a coach and build programs (while managing the transfer portal and recruiting), while Road to Glory allows gamers to assume the role of a player navigating a college career,” On3’s Andy Staples wrote on Wednesday. “Each comes with its own series of ripped-from-the-headlines dilemmas. Coaches now must decide how much energy they want to spend on high school recruiting versus portal recruiting. Players must decide how to balance studying the playbook with brand-building and classwork.”
A new mode included in the game is Road To The College Football Playoff, an online format playable across consoles.
“Will you represent your university, or take a power school to climb the polls?” EA wrote in its press release. “Earn rank by upsetting the toughest opponents and securing the votes you need to progress and level up divisions. Play your way into the playoffs and battle for the national championship.”
Ultimate Team will also be available. Players can build teams with current stars and legends of the game.
The new game also comes with an in-game feature called “CampusIQ” including the “Wear & Tear System.” Per EA, “As the hits add up, players wear down with the Wear & Tear System. Manage your players’ health, limit fatigue, assess risk of injury, and avoid on-field mistakes by using strategic substitutions to ensure your players are at their best with it counts the most.”
Home-field advantage is also back. Players will be able to test their squad’s road game composure and confidence levels with distractions like screen shaking, missing pre-play icons, and moving play art.
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