We’ve seen screenshots, cinematic scenes, pregame entrances, and beautiful graphics. We’ve read about new gameplay mechanics, features, and how this game is nothing like it’s Madden predecessor.
The one thing we hadn’t seen, though, is true gameplay for College Football 25. The wait for that is over now, though, as EA Sports College Football 25 gave us an in-depth preview of what their game actually looks like in action.
With the help of ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit, we got an inside look at how the new CampusIQ features in CFB25 will work. Check it out.
The “Gameplay Deep Dive” breaks things down into four categories: Wear & Tear, Player Abilities, Homefield Advantage, and Unique Playbooks.
Here’s what EA had to say about each of those features and what they’ll bring to the game, according to EA Sports’ College Football 25 Gameplay Deep Dive.
Wear & Tear
Wear and Tear is a feature that takes the football gridiron to an unprecedented level of realism. This feature ensures every hit matters and not all hits are created equal. Wear and Tear is a brand new and unique damage system that adds a whole new layer of depth and strategy to your gameplay and roster management. This is reflective of what we see on Saturdays.
Wear and Tear is designed to simulate the real-world effects of fatigue and damage on a player’s performance. It operates on a play-to-play and game-to-game basis. If your quarterback has thrown the ball 40+ times in a game and has taken some shots, don’t expect him to be at 100% the following week in Dynasty or Road To Glory. Subtle gameplay components such as getting the ball out early, covering the ball, and just getting out of bounds will be as important as ever. Wear and Tear is on for ALL 22 players on the field!
Player Abilities
In College Football 25, we are introducing 80 abilities, the majority of which are completely new to the football gaming space. These abilities are purely situational boosts, and there are no guarantees. Abilities are categorized into two groups: physical and mental. Each of these groups is further divided into four tiers: bronze, silver, gold, and platinum. The most a player can have at any given time is five physical and three mental abilities.Â
Our aim is to provide players with increasing depth as they progress through these tiers. For instance, consider our new Grip Breaker ability under the physical category. This ability bolsters a defender’s capability to disengage from a block. At the bronze and silver tiers, this ability is only applicable during run plays. However, at the gold and platinum levels, it also applies to pass plays, with its effects significantly amplified. Another important note to make here is that the abilities a player can have is solely determined by their archetype. Mental abilities on the other hand are dictated by the position of the player.
Homefield Advantage
Winning a football game at the Division 1 level is tough, winning on the road is even tougher! Every Saturday, we witness the significant impact that home-field advantage plays in determining the game’s outcome. On the virtual gridiron in EA SPORTS College Football 25, that will be no different.Â
Firstly, we aimed to pay off and differentiate the top environments in college football. This differentiation involved two core elements: audio and in-game modifiers. Modifiers are effects that disrupt your gameplay both pre and post-snap. For instance, you might experience squiggly lines, play art appearing incorrectly, audibles and hot routes failing to register at higher rates, or receiver icons fading in and out during a crucial moment of your game.
Next, we considered the critical elements of confidence, composure, and player experience. As noted above in the Confidence and Composure section, we wanted to ensure that these elements were factored into how much the hostile environments impacted you, both pre- and post-snap. This allows for a more immersive experience and adds another layer of strategy to gameplay. With the limited ability to communicate on the field, the initial, correct play call will be as important as ever.Â
Unique Playbooks
This year over 1,500 new plays, more than 50 formations, along with 134 team playbooks have been created to reflect current offensive and defensive trends in the sport. In addition to team playbooks, College Football 25 also includes 10 non-team playbooks. These are based on a variety of play styles such as Air Raid, Multiple, Pistol, Power Spread, Option, Pro, Run & Shoot, Spread, Spread Option, and Veer & Shoot. These playbooks can be customized and saved as a custom playbook, adding an extra layer of strategy to the game.
Staying true to the theme of player control, a brand new type of Trick Play will debut: the “DIY Reverse”. In these plays, you decide whether to hand off to your teammate using L1/LB or keep the ball and run. This introduces exciting plays like the “HB Direct DIY Reverse”, designed to keep the defense on their toes.Â
The game action picks up with the addition of trick plays including Double Pass, Reverse, Reverse Pass, and Reverse Flea Flicker. A note to consider is that when running any given trick plays, the defense will adapt making these play calls a much riskier proposition.Â
If this looks like the most challenging and intuitive football video game you’ve ever seen, you’re right. The beautiful part is, the very first frame of the trailer that unveiled it all is happening on a Big 12 football field.
EA also expands on a host of other features and new additions to the game in its breakdown of the game, and does an incredible job of breaking down all of the incredible features that are coming when CFB25 hits shelves on July 19.
