College Football

Everything we know about 'College Football 25': A first-look at gameplay unveiled

Updated May. 31, 2024 1:06 p.m. ET

Finally, after more than a decade of waiting, a college football video game is set to return to shelves in just two months.

EA Sports "College Football 25" will be available for purchase in July, marking the first time since 2013 that the gaming company will release a college football video game. It paused production on the previous iteration of its college football video game, "NCAA Football," after settling a lawsuit with former players who previously weren't compensated for their name, image and likeness (NIL).

RJ Young reacts to the NCAA College Football 25 video game cover | No. 1 CFB Show

EA announced in February 2021 that the game would return after student-athletes were granted permission to seek compensation for their name, image and likeness. There were holdups in the development of the video game, but EA officially announced in January that it would be releasing its first college football video game in 11 years this summer.

EA shared a first look at gameplay on Friday, releasing a nearly five-minute-long video showcasing what to expect in the game.

As the countdown for "College Football 25" is on, here's everything we know about the upcoming video game.

Who will be on the cover?

EA officially unveiled its cover athletes on May 16, confirming a pair of recent leaks.

The standard cover will feature three current college football stars: Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter, and Michigan running back Donovan Edwards.

Ewers, Hunter and Edwards also appear on the deluxe cover, standing front-and-center in a tunnel of players who appear set to take the field. The backs of the jerseys of other current college football stars are featured on the deluxe cover, such as Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe, Georgia quarterback Carson Beck and Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins. The uniforms of other big-name programs are also featured on the deluxe cover.

Who will be in the game?

All 134 FBS teams will appear in the game. EA Sports also made offers to every player on an FBS roster to be a part of the game, with over 12,800 players accepting that offer as of May, according to Extra Points.

EA Sports initially had a goal of getting 87% of all student-athletes to accept the offer, surpassing that goal by the beginning of March. Texas quarterback Arch Manning reportedly declined an offer to join the game.

Players who decline to be in the game will be replaced by a generic avatar, similar to how Barry Bonds was portrayed in some MLB video games.

Players who are in EA Sports "College Football 25" might not look entirely like themselves. Face scans for individual players won't be available for this year's version of the game as it'd be too difficult to implement so many face scans in such a short period, an EA spokesperson told ESPN in February.

How will student-athletes be compensated for appearing in the game?

When it was announced that the game would be returning, EA said that it was offering student-athletes $600 and a copy of the game in order to use their name, image and likeness. A copy of the game is valued at $70.

It's unknown if players on the cover will receive extra compensation.

What features will be included in the game?

Popular game modes from the previous NCAA football series, such as Dynasty Mode and Road to Glory, are reportedly expected to be included in the game. Some new developments in the college football world since the last time EA Sports released a college football video game, such as the transfer portal, are also reportedly expected to be included in the game.

What will Dynasty Mode be like?

Dynasty Mode will have online and offline play, according to The Athletic. Dynasties can have up to 32 users but online Dynasty Mode won't be cross-capable between PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.

There's a 30-year maximum limit for each Dynasty Mode, with users being able to start as either a head coach, offensive coordinator or defensive coordinator. Each coach will have a backstory as a "motivator," "recruiter" or "tactician," according to The Athletic.

Users will also reportedly be able to customize conferences, creating leagues up to 20 teams.

Recruiting will also be featured in the game. Recruiting classes will have over 4,000 prospects as teams can hold up to 85 scholarship players, with users being able to control how much effort they want to spend to land a certain recruit, according to The Athletic. Name, image and likeness deals reportedly won't be involved in recruiting, but users can encourage players to transfer. The transfer portal will be similar.

Team Builder will also be included in the game, allowing users to create a team.

Will the new College Football Playoff be included in the game?

Yes, you'll be able to play the 12-team College Football Playoff in "College Football 25." It was announced that the CFP would be included shortly after it was announced the game would return this summer.

Additionally, every single bowl game will also reportedly be included in "College Football 25."

What other things will or won't be in the game?

The Heisman Trust announced in March that it would allow EA to use the Heisman Trophy in "College Football 25." However, the National College Football Awards Association declined an offer to allow EA to use its awards in the game.

As a result, prominent college football awards such as the Bednarik, Biletnikoff, Davey O'Brien, Doak Walker, Grozo, Jim Thorpe, Maxwell, Outland and Ray Guy will not be included in the game.

The voices of the game will mostly be ESPN announcers, with Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit serving as one of the broadcast teams in "College Football 25."

What stadium traditions will be featured in the game?

If you're playing with Virginia Tech, don't expect to hear "Enter Sandman" when the Hokies take the field at home. The same goes for "Jump Around" and Wisconsin, as both songs won't be featured in the game due to licensing issues, according to The Athletic. However, popular stadium songs such as "Zombie Nation," "Sandstorm," "Tsunami" and "Mo Bamba" will reportedly be in the game. "Zombie Nation" will play in Beaver Stadium after Penn State touchdowns, just like in real life, for instance. An instrumental version of "Neck," which is commonly played by LSU's band at games, is also reportedly expected to be in the game.

Several other stadium traditions will also reportedly be in the game. Penn State's "White Out," Tennessee's "Checkerboard" and Texas A&M's red, white and blue crowd will be featured.

As for uniforms, there will be at least a few options for each team, according to The Athletic. Oregon, which is known for mixing up its look several times each season, will have more than 20 uniform options.

The wave at Iowa games at the start of the second quarter will also be featured in the game, according to On3. Players on the winning team of the Iowa-Minnesota game will also celebrate with the pig statue.

What will gameplay be like?

"College Football 25" will have a CampusIQ gameplay feature set, which includes a Wear and Tear system, player abilities, home field advantage, unique playbooks and a "host of new mechanics that deliver the fast-pace gameplay unique to college football," EA shared in a video.

The Wear and Tear system is a "progressive health system that prioritizes strategic substitutions and diverse playcalling" to keep players healthy. With the system, all hits "matter" but don't have "the same impact." For instance, a hit to a quarterback's arm as he throws the ball can not only force an incompletion, but also deliver a blow. Every hit is measured differently as "damage and fatigue" can impact a player's performance throughout a game.

Mental and physical abilities are also being introduced in "College Football 25." Physical abilities boost talent attributes, like being able to break tackles and can even provide protection in the Wear and Tear system. Mental abilities are meant to "enhance intangible traits," giving some players and teams an edge in leadership, pre-snap reads and the ability to stay calm under pressure. The mental ability, "headstrong," will be key for quarterbacks on the road. QBs who don't have it will be more prone to struggle in tough environments, while those who do have it won't be as deterred. A player can have up to eight abilities, allowing them to gain certain advantages in different elements of the game.

Home-field advantage will be in play in "College Football 25," giving home teams an upper hand. There will be "various degrees" of home-field advantages, which are based on the stadium's "toughness rank" and "stadium pulse." The home field advantage can impact the away team's confidence and composure levels, making it more difficult to call audibles and hot routes at the line of scrimmage.

Users can expect a "wide-range of playing styles" to reflect that all 134 FBS teams will be in the game. For instance, Oklahoma will have its wide splits system, Air Force will have its triple-option offense, and you can play with Michigan's run-heavy offense. Tricks plays will also be included, such as fake handoffs.

There's also a revamped passing system in "College Football 25," meant to add "control and variation" with every throw. The game "focused on tuning situational throws and an array of new trajectories to provide more passing control." A passing meter will show when a user throws the ball, appearing above the receiver to determine how hard and accurate a pass you want to throw.

There's also a new kicker meter, which will show a ball moving left to right in order to determine accuracy before a power meter pops up.

EA appeared to leak some of the game's ratings. The Big House in Ann Arbor is ranked 16th in toughness, while Georgia's Sanford Stadium is ranked third in toughness. While the video noted that player and team ratings aren't final, the team ratings for Iowa seemed accurate to real life, holding a 94 defensive rating but a 71 offensive rating.

Which consoles will it be on?

So far, it's only been confirmed that "College Football 25" will be available for purchase on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. It's unknown if it'll be available for purchase on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.