A Year of Innovation at EA SPORTS

It’s been another huge year for EA SPORTS! Throughout 2024, we introduced groundbreaking innovations and technical advancements across all of our franchises that created authentic, immersive, and visually stunning experiences for fans all over the world – bringing our players closer to each other and the sports they love.  

“Continuous innovation is a major aspect of our culture and the future we’re driving towards at EA SPORTS. Everything we were able to deliver this year for our players is a direct reflection of our passionate and talented team members across our organization.” - Natali Altshuler, Chief Operating Officer, EA SPORTS Studios

Check out some of our top innovations across each of this year’s global releases and hear from some of our team members who helped bring them to life by scrolling below or clicking on each of the following links: 

EA SPORTS F1 24 | EA SPORTS College Football 25 | EA SPORTS Madden NFL 25 | EA SPORTS FC 25 | EA SPORTS NHL 25

Creating the most authentic driving experience in EA SPORTS F1® 24

EA SPORTS F1® 24 was our first EA SPORTS launch in 2024, setting the bar high for the rest of the year. In addition to delivering the most authentic and immersive driving experience, our EA SPORTS F1 team introduced the biggest Career mode overhaul since 2016, allowing players to step into the shoes of F1® drivers from the 2024 grid, up-and-coming competitors from the world of F2™, and even legendary past racers in the form of Icons. The team also made significant updates to visual renderings and shaders, creating the most realistic driver depictions to date; incorporated audio samples from real-world F1® broadcasts in-game for the first time ever, adding contextually relevant voice lines during key moments; and reworked fan-favourite tracks like Silverstone and Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps for authentic circuit accuracy to bring fans closer to grid than ever before. 

Months after the launch of EA SPORTS F1 24, we continued to deliver all-new technical enhancements that elevate visual quality, gameplay, and player immersion for the PS5 Pro. As the first EA SPORTS title to run at 8K and 60Hz on console, the game now features the latest EGO Engine update to fully utilize the advanced capabilities of PS5 Pro and deliver one of the most realistic and thrilling F1 experiences to date. 

“This year, we've pushed multiple areas of the game forward, opening up opportunities for players to race as their heroes - past or present - and create stories they'd like to see unfold.” - Lee Mather, Senior Creative Director, EA SPORTS F1

Capturing the iconic feel of Saturday night football in EA SPORTS™ College Football 25

When we teased the return of EA SPORTS™ College Football, our team was just as excited as our passionate fans to release EA SPORTS College Football 25 – with all the iconic sights and sounds that electrify college football stadiums every Saturday. And this was all grounded in CampusIQ™, which delivers wide open, fast-paced gameplay that matches the explosiveness of college football game days – and introduces new features like the Wear and Tear System, Pre-Snap Recognition, and game-altering homefield advantages. The revamped passing, improved AI, and introduction of 80 abilities (the majority of which are completely new to the football gaming space) – along with over 1,500 new plays, more than 50 formations, and 134 team playbooks – all reflect current offensive and defensive trends in the sport and add increased depth to gameplay. 

Our EA SPORTS College Football team also worked to recreate and showcase the most iconic settings, stadiums, and traditions of college football. This includes traditional team run-outs and rivalry rituals, synchronized crowd-chants, loudness meters, real game-day audio, fight songs and, of course, mascots. These details, in addition to game modes like Dynasty Mode, Road to Glory, and College Football Ultimate Team, bring college football game days and playoffs to life, and help deliver the most immersive college football video game experience to-date. 

“From the start, one of our primary objectives was to capture the authenticity and wide open gameplay of college football. The amount of features and detail [in College Football 25 demonstrate that] is not fast following anything, but instead, it is trailblazing a new path with its fundamental and forward-thinking features and approach in our American Football space.” - Scott O’Gallagher, Design Director, EA SPORTS College Football

Taking gameplay to the next level in EA SPORTS™ Madden NFL 25

Our EA SPORTS Madden NFL team introduced FieldSENSE™ two seasons ago, responding to our players’ desire for more agency and control in their gameplay. This year, that goal was enhanced even further in EA SPORTS™ Madden NFL 25 with the introduction of BOOM Tech on PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC– our next gameplay innovation – an injection of real-world physics into that animation-branching technology (and aptly named after Coach Madden’s most famous catchphrase - BOOM!). With FieldSENSE powered by BOOM Tech, our players can experience how a physics-informed dynamic tackling system, reengineered Hit Stick, and perfect hit indicator unlock realistic collisions and new gameplay animations on both sides of the ball.

The worldwide release of EA SPORTS College Football 25 presented the exciting opportunity for fans to tell deeper stories through multiple game modes – providing the opportunity to live out a complete football journey by taking their player from college champion in College Football 25 Road to Glory to NFL legend in Madden NFL 25 Superstar mode. Madden NFL 25 also introduced a new era of presentation across game modes that deliver fresh and authentic NFL sights, sounds, and stories that look, feel, and sound different from previous seasons. 

“We know what’s most important to players, and that’s a deep, authentic experience delivering control on the sticks. We started on a mission to maximize player control two seasons ago with FieldSENSE, and [in] Madden NFL 25, we continued that momentum with an authentic, robust set of innovations, such as Physics-Based Gameplay, that gives players more control than they’ve ever had before.” - Clint Oldenburg, Gameplay Production Director, EA SPORTS Madden NFL

Delivering authentic and immersive experiences in EA SPORTS FC™ 25

We revealed the next era of our football franchise when we launched EA SPORTS FC™ 24 last year, and this year we took the World’s Game to the next level. EA SPORTS FC™ 25 introduced FC IQ, offering an overhaul of the game’s tactical foundations – and delivering more strategic control, smarter teammates, and more authentic collective movement in every 11v11 match. Our EA SPORTS FC team also debuted a new way for football fans to play and win together with Rush. This all-new 5v5 experience harnesses the same gameplay controls and true-to-football mechanics of 11v11, and allows players to hit the pitch together with friends in groups of four and an AI-controlled goalkeeper to put their chemistry to the test across a range of game types.

Additionally, our team’s all-new EA SPORTS HIGHLIGHTER (for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S only) took the player-game connection to a whole new level, providing groundbreaking features for creating highly shareable content that shows off the myriad of ways that players interact with our games. This feature, paired with Cranium Technology – designed to empower players to create realistic versions of themselves or a different person altogether in-game – both represent cutting-edge technologies and huge steps towards a more immersive and personalized gaming experience. 

“FC IQ is the latest fundamental pillar that brings greater variety and authenticity to our gameplay. [Our] overhaul of tactical foundations across the game delivers greater strategic control and more realistic team movement, while a new AI model powered by real-world data influences player tactics through all-new Player Roles.” - Keegan Sabatino, Gameplay Producer, EA SPORTS FC

Bringing true hockey intelligence to the arena in EA SPORTS NHL® 25

EA SPORTS NHL® 25 delivered a hockey experience that was ‘built different,’ starting with the introduction of our all-new ICE-Q gameplay system. ICE-Q responds to contextual events with unprecedented authenticity, giving players the time and space to control every inch of the ice, and introducing three key advancements as the foundation of EA SPORTS NHL 25’s gameplay overhaul: Next-Gen Vision Control, Empowered AI, and Reactive Actions. 

Our team’s presentation innovations demonstrated that hockey isn’t only ‘built different’ in EA SPORTS NHL 25 – it looks different too. The introduction of SAPIEN Technology in NHL 25, paired with the power of the Frostbite engine on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S gave all in-game characters a serious visual overhaul and delivered the next best thing to the real thing. 

And speaking of looking different, we recently launched the EA SPORTS NHL Arcade event series, featuring giant-headed players, head-spinning checks, jaw-dropping goals, and a unique and fresh arcade-style 3-on-3 experience. While the first event has wrapped, there are more exciting events in the works, including NHL Arcade+ and NHL Frenzy – plus the integration of 4 Nations Face-Off in early 2025. We were also proud to welcome the Professional Women’s Hockey League and all six teams to EA SPORTS NHL 25 for the first time ever, furthering our commitment to authentically representing and growing women's sports in-game.

“EA SPORTS NHL 25 brings an unparalleled level of intelligence to the franchise with the introduction of ICE-Q. Whether it's creating time and space in gameplay with ICE-Q or leading the front office with the revamped Franchise Mode, this year’s game offers a truly immersive NHL experience that will appeal to veterans of the game and Chel rookies alike.” - Chris Haluke, Senior Producer, EA SPORTS NHL

Thank you to all of our EA SPORTS teams for an exciting year of incredible innovation and immersive experiences for our players – and the role each of you played in growing the love of sports worldwide! 

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