Deliberately fouling the opposition is a great way to let off steam in EA Sports FC, whether you’re losing a match or having a laugh with mates. If you’ve never belligerently slide tackled an enemy striker to earn a red card, are you even enjoying the game?
Those still pining for the early days of Fifa, when you could take out a goalkeeper’s legs for comic relief, will love EA Sports FC 25’s latest feature. When the new game arrives on September 27, you’ll be able to professionally foul other players as part of a series of gameplay upgrades.
Say the opposing team is aggressively marching towards your box, with a goal-scoring opportunity in sight, you can stop the attack with a cheeky shirt tug to drag down the player in possession.
While unleashing a slide tackle in the same scenario could result in a match-sacrificing send off, a “professional foul” will initially get you a more forgiving yellow card. Spam the sure-to-be divisive feature and you’ll wind up with a red, however. Your mates on the other hand probably won’t be as lenient if you keep abusing the new quirk online or in a local co-op.
How to commit a professional foul
To use a professional foul, all you have to do is press two buttons at the same time when you’re close to an opponent: R1 and X on PlayStation or RB and A on Xbox Series consoles.
“This action can be a strategic choice to halt a counterattack or stop an opponent’s promising advance,” says the game’s developer, Electronic Arts.
EA Sports FC 25’s new defensive features explained
As such, the new feature fits nicely into the game’s new defensive manoeuvres.
Players can expect AI defenders with a newfound awareness of their surroundings, who are capable of snuffing out danger before it arises. The days of easy cut-backs could also be numbered thanks to improved zonal marking.
Elsewhere, players will have greater control over defensive actions, with customisable player switching speeds and revamped tackle mechanics promising a more authentic and responsive experience. Even goalkeepers are in for a boost, with new manual movement options and a tactical "rush to contain" feature.
The glitch that can get you banned
As EA looks forward to the next entry in its storied franchise, footy fans are still occupying themselves with the current iteration (last year’s EA Sports FC 24) – and they’ve discovered a controversial glitch to get the upper hand.
I have been sent multiple instances of people being banned or given 7 day bans for using the Objectives glitch
— Kimpembro (@Kimpembro) July 27, 2024
I have deleted every video of this off all my socials and i can only apologise if you saw my video and done this and got banned
Please do not do the glitch
In a bizarre turn of events, some EA FC players have started scoring own goals and losing matches against other players online. If that wasn’t strange enough, the game’s developer Electronic Arts is apparently banning them for it.
Why the sudden collective self-immolation? Well, word has quickly spread of an active hack that counts matches you’ve thrown as completed, granting you XP in the process.
Needless to say, some players are taking advantage of the glitch to complete objectives and unlock special cards quicker. However, some are also warning that they’ve been banned by EA for exploiting the bug. The things people will do for a Futties card, eh?
