Wednesday was an exciting day for college football fans. For the first time since the game's trailer dropped, in-depth details about the gameplay and features in EA Sports College Football 25 have been made public.
Last week, several college football writers and prominent sports gamers were invited to the EA headquarters in Orlando for a preview and presentation on College Football 25. They were given a full breakdown of what went into the development of the game, learned what's featured in the game, and got to take time playing it.
On Wednesday they were finally allowed to share the details of what they learned and tested in Orlando. Andy Staples of On3 was one media member who visited the headquarters. He goes into great detail about what he learned while in Orlando in the video below.
Here are some of the major details that have been announced regarding gameplay and game modes...
Stadium atmospheres will be incredible
The pageantry, traditions, and stadium atmospheres of college football set it apart from any other American sport, and College Football 25 is embracing that to the fullest. Each home stadium will have a unique atmosphere in the game, and during gameplay, the traditions at those stadiums will be showcased.
We'll see South Carolina running out to "Sandstorm", the Iowa Wave, and the Penn State White Out (hopefully Mississippi State's cowbells, as well). School specific songs will be played at their appropriate moments during games. The game will be a celebration of so many of the things that makes CFB special.
Gameplay will be challenging but rewarding
Video of gameplay has not yet been released (that should be coming very soon), but we have a good idea of how the game will play from the media who got to test it. And as you can expect, gameplay has changed a lot from NCAA Football 14.
Each of the 134 schools in the game will have a unique playbook meant to replicate their exact offensive style. Rather than just generic plays and styles that could apply to any number of teams, there'll be formations and plays specific to certain schools.
In game, there are some notable changes. The passing game has been totally revamped to allow for more "layered passing", meaning you can adjust how much touch or zip you put on the ball when attempting to loft it over defenders or fit it into a window. The run game has far more dynamic blocking to create a more realistic rushing style. The audible menu is much more expansive as well.
Home field advantage effects will be greater, and your inexperienced players will feel the impacts greatly. Physical and mental fatigue will wear on players throughout the game. And in general, the game is going to emphasis the differences in talent between the elite talent of a title contender and the rosters of struggling Group of 5 teams.
Essentially, some aspects of gameplay are getting more complex, which creates more a challenge but will reward those who can execute plays and manage a game.
Dynasty mode was the main focus of the game's development
The common refrain from everyone who attended the preview is that Dynasty Mode was the top priority for College Football 25. EA's team went all-in to create the most immersive Dynasty experience yet.
Fans can create custom conferences once again will full reign over league structure. They can work both as a HC or coordinator, and as a HC, can hire and fire their coordinators and will choose a more specific coaching style than in older games. Recruiting has been revamped to closer replicate the real life process, both with high school and the transfer portal.
One of the biggest things is simply the fact that now there will be more of a challenge when working to build a small time program into a contender. In the older games, turning an Akron into a national title winner only took a few seasons even on the highest difficulty. That won't be the case now, which creates more of a challenge but also more excitement to Dynasty Mode.
Road to Glory is getting a modernized twist
Road to Glory was another beloved game mode that's returning, but it's seeing some changes. It will no longer start at the high school level and instead begin with your created player choosing which college he will attend. This is probably the most controversial news of the day because many enjoyed playing through the high school season and going through the recruiting process.
Where RTG will be getting a new twist is with NIL and the portal. Once in school, you'll have the ability to grow you brand with NIL deals. But you'll have to balance managing those deals alongside practicing and studying. Can you successfully juggle becoming a great player, earning your degree, and making money all at once? You'll also be able to transfer each year as you attempt to maximize your playing career (and earnings).
This is not a "Madden reskin"
The biggest concern from fans has been that EA would simply take the same Madden games they've been developing for the last several years, change the stadiums and uniforms to match colleges, and call it a day.
It's clear that's not at all the case. The development team for College Football 25 was made up of legitimate college football fans who understand the sport and what fans loved about the original NCAA Football series, and they went all-in to create a game that would meet fan expectations.
We've had to wait a ridiculously long time, but this game will be worth the wait.