It has been a long, long time since we last got a game but UFC 5 is officially on the way, with the game releasing this year. The pinnacle of mixed martial arts is returning to the gaming world soon, and the UFC 5 beta is already live.
Still under the EA umbrella, UFC 5 is set to bring the new generation of octagon icons to Xbox and PlayStation. But fans should lower their expectations, as the reactions to the Beta have been mixed, to put it nicely.
But what do we know about the game so far? Let's take a look!
Latest news - UFC 5 Beta gatherers mixed reactions
As mentioned above, the Beta of UFC 5 has divided the community. Many have said the game is a complete waste of money, with no real improvements and with the same problems as its predecessor.
On the other hand, a part of the UFC community has praised the game for its fantastic graphics, new cutscenes, and vastly improved striking. Some fans even said this is " the most responsive EA UFC game ever", and that the new animations make the game more realistic and immersive.
However, there are some things that the UFC community agrees on as a whole. One of them is that the Clinch system is the same as in UFC 4 and that it needs to be changed ASAP. The Ground and Pound system suffers from the same problem and striking could also use more changes.
In the end, this is still only the Beta and we expect some of the features to undergo changes before the game comes out. At the same time, with UFC 5 releasing on 27 October, we don't expect any major changes to be made to the full game.
Tons of improvements as EA unveil new features
EA is going all-out with UFC 5. The game will make use of the Frostbite engine for the first time in the franchise and is packed with new features.
From improved blood & damage, both visually and functionally, that gives the game an M rating to updated submission systems and strikes to the addition of the fight doctor.
You can read all about the UFC 5 new features here!
Game modes revealed!
EA Sports revealed five UFC 5 game modes in the most recent deep dive trailer.
Here is the list:
- Fight Week
- Online Career mode
- Classic Career mode
- Ranked Online
- Play Now
Release date
We now have a fully confirmed UFC 5 release date! After three years of waiting, players will be able to step back into the Octagon soon.
UFC 5 will land on 27 October. At least, it will if you get the Standard Edition. Those buying the Deluxe Edition will get three days early access meaning they can jump in from 24 October.
Pre-orders & price
UFC 5 is not yet available to pre-order but things could change as soon as the game is revealed. For those looking to pre-order, you will get Fedor Emelianenko, Muhammad Ali, and Mike Tyson as bonus fighters to use.
As for price, we would anticipate a full $70/£70 price tag on this one. It would be good to see it come under that mark given the time away for the franchise and the fact that UFC isn't quite as big as it used to be.
However, this is EA and they'll never pass up a chance at money so be prepared to spend the usual amount here. You can add another $/£10-20 for the Deluxe Edition too!
Platforms
UFC 5 will be available across on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S only. That means EA is leaving behind the previous generation of consoles, much like it did with NFS Unbound.
It's also decided not to put the game out on PC. This is a brave call, and we may well see a PC port eventually.
Is UFC 5 cross-platform?
Unfortunately, UFC 5 doesn’t support either cross-progression or crossplay between platforms. This came directly from EA Sports as they confirmed it on the official UFC 5 FAQ.
This means that the players’ progress is strictly tied to one platform. In other words, if you planned to grind on Xbox and then switch to PlayStation – that will not work. Additionally, you won’t be able to fight against players from other platforms.
Cover reveal
The first piece of official news we got about UFC 5 was its cover stars. EA revealed two covers featuring three outstanding fighters.
The Standard Edition cover will feature both former flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko and current featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. Meanwhile, the Deluxe Edition will feature current middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.
Who will be the highest-rated fighters?
The UFC 5 roster will be stacked with superstars across its many weight divisions, which makes fighter ratings a very debatable topic with each new game.
In UFC 5 ratings will be a contentious topic, we expect current champions and any legendary fighters to be the highest rated. But look out for the cover stars getting a generous rating too!