We're halfway through the year, which marks an exciting time for gamers in particular as they await the arrival of new titles from some of the industry's biggest franchises, including FC 25.
EA's next installment has been revealed ahead of its September launch, with various new features and changes confirmed to be on the way. While the early signs are encouraging, however, the positivity can quickly unravel into something all too familiar.
FC 25 Predecessor Sends Warning to EA
As we approach the one-year mark since EA FC was released to the world for the very first time, fans of the franchise including myself are carrying a mixture of emotions ahead of the next game.
While it is difficult not to be excited and hopeful for what's to come following the FC 25 reveal, we have been here before. Seeing the things we want to see and hearing the things we want to hear, only to be let down by one glaring issue - bugs.
Expectations were high for FC 24, which resembled the start of what was initially sold as an exciting new chapter that installed fresh hope for bigger and better things. However, that hope was soon diminished due to various bugs, glitches, and other gameplay-related issues rearing their ugly heads upon release.
From the ball attaching to players' bodies in Ultimate Team to coaches causing the game to crash in Career Mode, the whole situation was a complete mess, and these were just two of the many problems on display.
To EA's credit, they acted with urgency by dropping nine Title Updates within just four months of FC 24's launch, but unfortunately, it only highlighted the game's dire state.
Having spent their hard-earned money, some players gave up on FC 24 altogether, citing bugs and performance issues as the main reason for their decision. Meanwhile, others took to social media to voice their anger and disappointment, explaining that the game was simply unplayable.
Speaking exclusively to RealSport101 in March, YouTuber MGH admitted that the core gameplay was in a relatively poor state across all game modes, explaining it was the toughest year so far in terms of enjoying the game since he started Career Mode content back in 2011.
There's no hiding away from the fact that it's been a tough first year for EA FC, but you would like to think that plenty of valuable lessons have been learned inside the EA studios along the way.
Although it's far too early to get carried away, I believe that some of the changes and features coming to FC 25 have the potential to make it one of the best EA football games yet, but another bug-riddled launch cannot happen if the community is to maintain trust and hope moving forward.
At the end of the day, fans want a game that feels polished, well made, and enjoyable to play, and priced between £50 to £100, that's the very least they should expect. Granted, one or two minor issues are to be expected with any new game, but the sheer amount in FC 24 was unacceptable.
EA will continue to paint FC 25 in good light between now and its release, but if previous titles have taught developers anything, it's that their actions will always speak louder than words.
Let's hope the next 12 months will be remembered for all of the right reasons this time!
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