It’s been a long decade, but the day is finally upon us: EA Sports College Football 25 is here, marking a triumphant return for gaming’s greatest college football franchise after 10 years away. By all accounts, College Football 25 isn’t just the best version of the game we’ve ever seen, but one of the best sports games ever. A big reason for that is the fact that the game has been overhauled from top to bottom, both by building on the lessons EA Sports learned from many years developing its storied Madden NFL franchise and by introducing brand-new elements never seen before in football games.

From its polished presentation to its dynamic gameplay mechanics, College Football 25 has a lot going for it, but let’s take a closer look at some of our favorite features.

The Game Day Atmosphere

There are few things in the world of sports more electric than game day at a college football stadium. The crowd is brimming with energy, the players are fired up, and the stadium is quite literally shaking. College Football 25 absolutely nails this in every way, to the point that it feels nearly identical to watching a game on television. This is, hands down, the best presentation I’ve ever seen in a sports game.

Homefield Advantage

While homefield advantage is present in nearly every sport, it’s different in college football. Homefield advantage has been proven to provide a significant impact in determining the outcome of a college football game, but that sort of thing can be a bit nebulous to capture in a game. That’s not the case here, as intense moments for the visiting team will see the crowd noise ratcheting up to ear-splitting levels, the screen shaking, and plays even displaying incorrectly. 

Confidence and Composure

This is a new system introduced with College Football 25 and it beautifully captures the way that experience can make all the difference when players have to maintain their composure in high pressure situations. Not only will players get hot or cold depending on the outcome of previous plays (which will in turn affect how they perform in future plays), but their experience will dictate those ups and downs. Freshmen are much more likely to be affected by those ups and downs, while upperclassmen will be more likely to keep their cool and perform in the clutch.

Abilities

Long-time video game football fans are likely well-versed in things like player ratings, which provide numerical equivalents to players’ strengths and weaknesses. In College Football 25, players will also have mental and physical abilities that will give them advantages in certain situations. For example, a running back with the Downhill ability is more likely to break tackles after hitting max speed, while quarterbacks with the Field General ability can do things like identifying blitzers before the snap. There are 80 abilities in total, with each of them having four different tiers (Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum) depending on the player’s rating in a given category.

The Switch Stick

In most football games, it can be challenging to switch to a different player while you’re in coverage on defense. Cycling through players via button presses can be a challenge and there are inevitably times when you end up controlling a linebacker when you’d rather by a cornerback. Now, a simple flick of the right stick in the direction of the player you want will switch you to him, allowing you to quickly and easily manage multiple levels of coverage. Once the quarterback throws the ball, the right stick control will immediately switch back to the Hit Stick we all know and love.

The New Read-Option Mechanic

The Option is a much bigger element of college offenses than it is in the professional game, so the developers at EA Sports completely overhauled this system to feel more intuitive. In addition to a new pull/keep mechanic during the handoff (depending on the read), the quarterback can dictate how powerful the pitch to the running back will be, as well as whether or not to abandon the run entirely and keep it for a quick pass to an open receiver.

Road to the College Football Playoff Mode

Without a doubt, the biggest change to the college football landscape over the last ten years is the College Football Playoff, which kicked off in 2014 just as this series was taking its break. In this mode, you’ll take your team of choice through a number of divisions by earning ranked points as you try to work your way up the rankings. There are a couple of neat twists here, including the fact that it’s a head-to-head mode against other players and that you’ll earn more points by using teams that aren’t as highly ranked.

Road to Glory Mode

While not new to College Football 25, Road to Glory is still one of the franchise’s best modes. You’ll play through an entire college career, from recruitment through the bowl game (hopefully!) in your senior year. Like any student-athlete, you’ll need to manage your class and practice schedule (including keeping that GPA up!) while earning the trust of your coach and teammates both on and off the field. As is the case with the real world college football landscape, this year features the transfer portal, which will give you an option to switch schools if you don’t feel like you’re getting the opportunities you deserve… or if you just think you look better in another team’s uniform.

Ultimate Team

Yes, there is a version of EA Sports’ Ultimate Team mode in College Football 25 and it’s a blast for anyone who loves the storied history of college football or enjoys the ins-and-outs of team building. Complete specific challenges, earn coins, then spend those coins to improve your team, whether that’s with current college players or legendary players from some of college football’s greatest teams.

The developers at EA Sports said from the beginning of the game’s development that their goal was for EA Sports College Football 25 to feel like a love letter to college football and it’s clear that they’ve succeeded. Want to see for yourself? Hit the gridiron now on Xbox Series X|S!