EA College Football 25 releases huge new title update

On Thursday, EA released a major update for College Football 25. The new title update adds 718 new NIL players to the game, impacts gameplay, interface, Dynasty and Ultimate Team, and adds a whole new layer to Team Builder via Adobe Express.

Here are the details from EA and my reactions to some of the changes. The updates from the EA blog are printed in italics.

EA College Football 25 gameplay update

Generally

• Updated the skill set of players in front-end rosters.
• DEVELOPER NOTE: These ability changes are based on current player performance this season and changes to their ratings. We focused on the game’s top 25 teams and their players. This results in players like Ashton Jeanty receiving an increase in his skills. Be sure to check out your favorite players to see if they have any changes!
• Reduced the frequency of pitches from tackles without a pitchback.
• Fixed an issue where the Aftershock ability would incorrectly trigger on blocks.

Alignment

• Fixed an issue where using a Cover 3 ammo on a Cover 1 blitz against Empty Base Flex or Trio would result in the tight end being left open.
• Fixed an issue where using two high-coverage projectiles (Cover 2, Cover 4, etc.) on Nickel via Dual Mount would cause defenses to line up in a single high-security look.
• Fixed an issue where using a Cover 2 coverage grenade on a Cover 1 play would result in the tight end being left unguarded.
• Fixed an issue where using a Cover 0 coverage grenade in Cover 2 Man vs Empty Base, Empty Chip, or Empty Quads would result in the inside receiver being left unguarded.

cover

• Added box call logic to cover 4 Quarters and 4 Palms to better cover route combinations in Bunch Formation.
• DEVELOPER NOTE: Box call logic determines which eligible receiver a defender picks up/passes. This is particularly effective against Bunch and ensures that the defenders can cover their tasks optimally. Deep Zone, Quarter Flat and 3 Rec Hook defenders coordinate to ensure all eligible receivers are picked up.
• Fixed an issue where the Outside Third L Defensive Hot Route would direct a safety on the left side of the field to play outside the third third on the other side of the field.
• Fixed an issue where some press animations resulted in the receiver being pressed 10 yards further down the field.

Passport blocking

• Fixed an issue where using the “Defensive Linemen Slant Inside” command would cause defenders to rush into the same gap.
• Changed the functionality of defensive linemen shifts in Double-A gap defense formations to eliminate unrealistic alignments.
• Fixed an issue where pass block target lines were not displayed when the user entered pass block adjustments.
• Added new logic that allows defenders to no longer immediately release to the outside if they receive the Slant Inside D-Line Adjustment before the snap.

Settings and user interface

• Fixed an issue that prevented users from running out of time in online head-to-head ranked matches with the accelerated clock turned on.
• Fixed an issue where the user-specified switch stick delay setting was not retained once the user switched menus.

The biggest gameplay issue I’ve experienced is the defense’s lack of zone integrity. There were a few instances where I felt like I couldn’t trust that my AI-controlled safeties were in the right position to stop deep throws from the middle.

Hopefully this update addressing Cover 2 (my core focus) will improve performance in this regard.

EA College Football 25 Dynasty updates

• Fixed an issue with the Power Lineman archetype that prevented Pass Block Finesse from progressing.
• Bryant-Denny Stadium was redesigned into Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
• Fixed an issue where the prospect list would be fully updated each time a recruit was targeted.
• Various corrections to news reports.
• Fixed an issue that prevented custom schedules from working properly.
• Fixed an issue with the display of weights in the Team Supplies screen.
• Fixed an issue where the free training tile was not always displayed in Dynasty Hub.
• Fixed an issue where you were unable to supersimulate from the play calling screen when playing as a Coordinator.
• The body parts damaged by wear and tear recover over the course of the week.
• When viewing a recruit in the recruiting forum, you can now change which recruit you are currently viewing by using the right stick up/down.

Player editing limitations aside, I’m on the right track with Dynasty. Recruiting is fun and exciting, but it’s still nice to see updates on little things under the hood.

EA College Football 25 Ultimate Team updates

• Included is “Play A Friend” as a playable mode.
• AP limit increased to 12 for Season 3
• The AP cost of Aftershock has been increased from 2 AP to 5 AP. There are no longer 4 defensive linemen with Aftershock.
• Fixed issues that caused the following combinations to be unplayable in lineups:
• Warren Sapp and Booger Mcfarland
• Brian Bosworth and Payton Wilson
• Tavon Austin and Kamdyn Benjamin
• Players can now have both a Travis Hunter WR and a Travis Hunter CB in their lineup at the same time.
• Fixed player appearances in silhouettes.
• Nissan Stadium is now the default stadium for Playstation tournaments.
• Fixed a crash that occurred when reaching gameplay after changing your favorite team in your profile.
• Fixed stability issues that resulted in long loading times in menus after users navigated to the item folder.
• Fixed an issue with the Open Next Package feature.
• When promoting to the starter from the item detail view, the player’s name is no longer duplicated on the screen.
• In Lineup tags will no longer be added to player items that are not in your lineup when you flip them over in the item folder.
• Fixed an issue with the Live Events tab that caused the screen to flicker after navigating.
• Fixed overlapping text on Auction Details screen.
• Fixed a scaling issue that occurred in the catalog after selecting “Find this item” in sets.
• The size of NAT, BND and LTD labels that can appear on player items has been increased.
• Position names no longer overlap with the lineup tabs on the lineup screen.
• Viewing the back of a player item in a Fantasy Pack and advancing to the next round no longer results in attributes of the previously viewed item being displayed instead of the correct item attributes.
• Cleaned up overlapping text with bundle offers in stores.
• Stars within a challenge sequence and milestone screen are now displayed correctly.
• Selecting a wildcard slot in any set no longer allows you to choose from any player in your collection. Previously, users would select a player and then receive a server error message.

Ultimate Team didn’t grab me for College Football 25. However, most of these updates appear to be cosmetic or minor quality of life changes rather than having a significant impact.

EA College Football 25s Road to Glory updates

• Various scenario fixes
• Removed a rogue pickup basketball scenario that triggered multiple times for some players.

I’ve played two careers in RTG and feel disadvantaged because I’ve never seen the “Rogue Pickup Basketball” scenario mentioned here. That probably would have been fun.

EA College Football 25 presentation and UI updates

• Uniform pieces added for: Florida State, SMU, UCF, Texas State, Ole Miss, UNLV, Illinois, Miami, Oregon State, Cal, Old Dominion, Toledo, Oregon, Texas A&M, UTSA, James Madison, Colorado, Arizona State, Stanford, ULM, Texas Tech, FIU, Utah, Mississippi State, Air Force, BYU, North Texas, Louisiana Tech, Minnesota, WKU, WKU, South Alabama, Rice, NMSU, Miami OH, San Jose State, Arizona, TCU, Houston, Georgia Tech, UTSA.
• Updated existing uniform pieces for the 2024 season: SMU, Kent State, New Mexico, Washington State, Ohio State, Florida Atlantic.
• Introducing 718 new NIL players.
• The Nissan Stadium competition has been added to the game.
• Additional rating updates for players. Updated overall team standings.
• DEVELOPER NOTE: These rankings changes apply exclusively to Play Now and Road to College Football Playoffs.

Here’s a lot of the meat for the latest title update. We have a new stadium, player and team rating adjustments, 718 new players and various changes to team uniforms.

The new player updates give Boise State superstar Ashton Jeanty a jump to 97 overall as he heads toward a possible Heisman Trophy.

Since its release, EA College Football 25 has been built primarily around accurate representation of the teams and, where possible, the players. The updates have complemented this concept.

However, I wish it was easier to see exactly which players were promoted and demoted. It’s a small task to track down the information.

Team Builder Update for EA College Football 25

• Introducing Adobe Express integration for Team Builder.
• DEVELOPER NOTE: Team Builder gets an upgrade! We’re excited to announce a new partnership with our friends at Adobe. Adobe Express, a content and design creation tool, is now integrated into Team Builder as an optional feature, allowing you to express your creativity and customize your experience in more ways than ever before. To use the tool, go to your logo page and click “Create with Adobe Express.” Simply create an Adobe account or sign in with an existing account to get started right away Access to up to 25 credits for use in logo creation OR designing from scratch using the powerful design elements built into Express. Design, then click Save in the Adobe Express tool to return to Team Builder and import your new custom image into your Logos page. From there, you can apply your custom layers to your stadium, uniforms, and more.

It’s great to see EA dedicated to customizing uniforms for your school. The new Adobe-based tier features “500,000 royalty-free Adobe Stock photos, 290,000 icons, 44,000 themes including shapes, illustrations, brushes, textures, frames and more,” according to an additional brief from EA.

While this increases the density of the already robust creation suite, it does not close the gap that users still have regarding the limited editing options available to players in the game. Hopefully one day the Team Builder version of College Football will work just like Madden 25’s.