EA Sports FC 25 tactics | How FC IQ will change the game

The way tactics work in EA Sports FC 25 is changing in a big way, specifically introducing something called player roles. Along with the recently introduced Hypermotion V and PlayStyles, FC IQ will be the third pillar of the game, and it’s going to change the way players think about tactical play at the start of the game and during. We’ve got all the information you’re going to need about tactics in EA Sports FC 25 below

EA Sports FC 25 tactics: What is FC IQ?

FC IQ will change the way tactics are utilised in EA Sports FC 25, built on three core foundations: player roles, team tactics, and smart tactics.

Player roles

Player roles will guide the way players think and behave on the pitch, and are powered by real world Opta data and proprietary AI. The aim is to have more tactical intelligence and movement off the ball, meaning every decision you make as the manager will be visible during matches and help your team’s performance overall. There is a brand new screen in the tactics menu where you can view every player’s role. If you think of it as playstyles are when players are on the ball, roles are for when they’re of the ball. Some players have a couple of different player roles, so you can choose between them to give even more control.

We watched some footage where left backs had the ‘attacking wingback’ role which saw them move further up the pitch, a central midfielder with the ‘half-winger role that saw them cut out wide, and a central attacking midfielder make use of the ‘shadow striker’ role, cutting in behind the centre forward. On top of these roles, each one can be assigned a focus, such as making the role more roaming-focused or attacking-based. There’s an activity map where you can see whereabouts on the pitch your decisions regarding roles and focus will take the player, along with positioning for when these players will both have the ball and be off the ball. Finally, you’ll also see what familiarity a player will have with your chosen roles to see if the tactic is going to work for your team.

Team tactics

The new layout for team tactics make them more approachable for players who might not be familiar with these systems. Presets let you set up your team quickly and are inspired by real-life clubs, signature styles, and managers, and in these presets you can also set up player roles as well. The settings have also been streamlined and shortened down to three core focuses: formation, defensive approach, and build-up style. Another cool feature is the summary, where you get constant feedback from your tactics which analyses your team and player roles, along with the different areas of play such as attacking, endurance, width, and defending.

Smart tactics

Smart tactics are essentially what you can do in-game with the use of the D-pad. You’ll be able to open up your custom tactics and select between them, choose the tactical focus such as attacking and defending, choose popular quick tactics like the press, listen to tactical suggestions, and get tactical prompts. These changes can then be viewed on a virtual chalkboard and through AR, along with commentary mentioning the change in tactics as well. Your smart tactics can be changed at any time, and there’s also a substitutions menu that allow you to make them quickly as opposed to going into the menu or listening to your suggestions.

So, what else?

• Players will be able to create five different sets of custom tactics that can be saved, with your predominant one being selected as well, and if you want you’ll be able to share them via a unique code with players on any platform.
• A new viewpoint in team management allows players to see more information about each player, compare two players at a time, and look at the new familiar player roles tab.
• The amount of players on the bench is now nine, not five, but this won’t be available on last generation consoles. There is also a bar that shows you how many subs remaining you can make, as well as how many sub windows are left.
• Assignments in-game let you gain new support during corners by targeting players at the near and back post.