EA FC 24 is shattering all records, according to the game’s producer, anyway. The game was released back on September 29th and EA Sports says that a whopping 9.1m players logged into the game throughout its “launch period.”
In total, 11m players played the game throughout its first week, some 1m more than its FIFA 23 predecessor, and any fears of the game flopping following its rebranding seem to have been blown out of the water.
Of course, everyone’s favourite aspect of the game is Ultimate Team (UT). Ever since UT was introduced into the FIFA franchise back in 2009, it has been a resounding success with both critics and gamers alike. It has seen the beloved game become a revolutionary in the eSports space, with the recent FIFAe World Cup showing just how much money can be earned for the planet’s best gamers.
Dutch prodigy ManuBachoore took home a cool $300,000 for his victory in the tournament, and it isn’t just the best that can earn off of Ultimate Team, as websites such as https://thunderpick.io/en/esports now offer esports betting. Such an option was unthinkable just a decade or so ago, but it has become a reality thanks to EA Sports keeping its finger on the pulse with a number of new features to keep the game fresh and interesting. EA FC 24 is no different.
Women’s Football Fully Integrated
In the last few years, EA Sports has done its utmost to integrate women’s football into their game. They first introduced the women’s game back in 2016 however there wasn’t much gamers could do with the team’s available except play in exhibition matches. Last year, women’s teams could be used in career mode for the first time as well as the game’s covert art featuring Chelsea and Australia star Sam Kerr. However, this year, EA have upped their game even further.
For the first time ever, EA FC 24 Ultimate Team features both male and female players playing alongside each other as equals. Gamers can now realise their dreams, lining up perhaps the greatest women’s player of all time, Brazil’s Marta, playing alongside fellow illustrious Brazilian icons in the former of Ronaldinho and Ronaldo. The ratings of the female players in action are also generous, with Spain’s World Cup-winning duo of Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmati the highest-rated regular players in the UT database with ratings of 91 and 90 respectively.
PlayStyles and PlayStyles+
In EA FC 24, PlayStyles are another new addition, replacing the old Traits system we’ve gotten used to since FIFA 20. They’re designed to make your players feel more alive and authentic by giving them unique abilities based on their real-life skills. If your favourite player is known for their speed, you can bet they’ll be able to blow past defenders with ease.
But what’s really cool is that PlayStyles go beyond just an overall rating. Instead, they’re optimized by Opta data – which, let’s face it, is basically football gospel at this point – to bring to life the special abilities that make players stand out on the pitch. If your striker is Erling Haaland and has that mean left foot, you’ll see it in action when they’re taking free kicks or rinsing screamers from the edge of the box.
🆕 PlayStyles is a brand-new feature in #EAFC24 that brings to life the on-pitch abilities that make players special. ⚽
ℹ There are 34 PlayStyles in total, all of which are covered on @FUTxGGhttps://t.co/qO0X1CV1GL#FC24 | #EASportsFC pic.twitter.com/HLbjrbJ3Ao
— Helmar Designs 🌷 (@HelmarDesigns) July 19, 2023
Now, if you really want to take things up a notch, there’s PlayStyles+. These upgrade your players’ signature abilities to a whole new level of greatness, far beyond what mere mortals can achieve. We’re talking world-class skills here, things that Maradona or Messi would be proud of. So, if you want your team to dominate like Barcelona in their prime, you’ll definitely want to invest in some PlayStyles+.
It’s tricky to pinpoint the best PlayStyle so early in the game’s lifespan however, that doesn’t stop us from speculating which ones have the most potential to be game-changers. One that particularly caught our attention is Trickster, which opens up a whole new world of skill moves that players without the PlayStyle can only dream of.
Trickster players who have access to this PlayStyle have an added advantage as they can perform exclusive and captivating skills that are likely to leave their opponents in a daze. Even those with five-star skill moves cannot compare to the level of creativity that Trickster players bring to the table.
Evolution Players
EA FC 24 is shaking things up with the introduction of their Evolution system for Ultimate Team players. This brand-new feature allows you to take on unique challenges and overcome objectives in order to upgrade your players. Gone are the days of waiting for EA to bless your favourite players with special cards through TOTW and RTTK. Now, you can take matters into your own hands and give your players the boost they need to dominate the pitch.
Now we know what you’re thinking: “This all sounds too good to be true.” And while we hate to rain on your parade, not every player is eligible for the Evolution upgrade. Each Evolution tree has its own set of requirements that players must meet in order to progress. But hey, that’s just part of the challenge, right?
Quality of Life Changes
EA has also introduced other small changes with the aim to improve various aspects of Ultimate Team such as:
- Claim All completed objectives button
- Removal of Position Modifiers
- Squad Battles half-time length reduced to 4 minutes
- Ability to hide Loan Players
- Two Player Walkout cinematic when opening a pack
- Objective Groups organized across multiple tabs
- Default Position search will now include both Primary and Alternative Position for SBCs
- Acceleration Types viewable in Player Bios
- Swap untradable duplicate items in bulk
EA SPORTS FC 24 is now available on multiple gaming platforms including PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.