It was supposed to be a triumphant year for EA Sports FC 25, the first entry in the franchise after the publisher rebranded from FIFA. Instead, the game has become a cautionary tale about the fragility of live-service models, shifting player expectations, and the dangers of resting on your laurels. 

In early 2025, EA Sports confirmed what many players had already suspected: FC 25 is struggling to retain its audience, and the fallout is rippling across the company. Here’s how one of gaming’s most iconic franchises stumbled—and whether EA can recover.

Table of Content
  1. A Rocky Start to 2025: When the Numbers Don’t Add Up
  2. The Loot Box Problem: Why Player Retention Matters More Than Ever
  3. Damage Control: EA’s Desperate Attempts to Fix the Game
  4. Player Backlash: "Too Little, Too Late?"
  5. The Broader Context: Why This Matters Beyond EA
  6. What’s Next for EA Sports FC?
  7. A Wake-Up Call for the Industry
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A Rocky Start to 2025: When the Numbers Don’t Add Up

Let’s rewind to the fall of 2024. EA Sports FC 25 launched with all the pomp and circumstance you’d expect from a marquee sports title. It topped the U.S. sales charts for September, became the best-selling game in Europe for the year, and even outperformed its predecessor, FC 24, in terms of initial sales. On paper, everything looked rosy.

But by December, cracks began to show. According to EA CEO Andrew Wilson, who addressed investors in February 2025, the game was failing to attract new players at the same rate as previous installments. Worse still, it was hemorrhaging existing ones. Many longtime fans stayed loyal to FC 24, while others simply walked away altogether. Engagement metrics—particularly within Ultimate Team, the game’s crown jewel—plummeted.

EA CEO Andrew WilsonImage: x.com

The impact? EA’s stock price dropped by a staggering 17%, wiping billions off the company’s market value. For a franchise that generates billions annually, this wasn’t just a hiccup—it was a full-blown crisis.

The Loot Box Problem: Why Player Retention Matters More Than Ever

To understand why this decline is such a big deal, you need to look at how EA makes money. While selling copies of the game is important, the real cash cow is Ultimate Team , a mode where players spend real money on loot boxes to build dream teams. Since the late 2010s, Ultimate Team has been EA’s golden goose, accounting for nearly 30% of the company’s total revenue in 2021 .

Here’s the rub: loot box revenue depends entirely on keeping players engaged over the long term. Fewer active users mean fewer opportunities to sell packs, which directly impacts EA’s bottom line. Even a small dip in player numbers can have an outsized effect, especially when those players are spending hundreds (or thousands) of dollars on virtual cards.

For EA, the stakes couldn’t be higher. If FC 25 continues to underperform, it could signal deeper issues—not just for the franchise, but for EA’s entire business model.

Damage Control: EA’s Desperate Attempts to Fix the Game

Credit where it’s due: EA didn’t sit idly by as the ship began to sink. Developers started rolling out fixes as early as December 2024, tweaking features like Rush Mode (reducing match durations from 7 to 5 minutes) and adding mid-season quick-start points in Career Mode to keep things fresh.

Then, in January 2025, EA dropped what it called a "major gameplay update", aimed at addressing some of the biggest complaints from players:

  • Defensive Balance: Defenders no longer effortlessly catch up to attackers, restoring a sense of fairness to one-on-one situations.
  • Ball Physics: Unpredictable rebounds during tackles were minimized, making matches feel less chaotic.
  • Goalkeeping Fixes: Keepers received patches to close glaring gaps in their near post coverage.
  • Passing Improvements: Passing mechanics became smoother and faster, enhancing the overall flow of play.

According to Wilson, these changes worked—at least initially. Over 2 million players returned to the game in January alone, boosting engagement numbers. He even went so far as to claim that the previous fiscal year would be EA’s second-best in history.

Player Backlash: "Too Little, Too Late?"

Adama TraoreImage: x.com

Not everyone was convinced. While EA touted its updates as revolutionary, many players felt they were anything but. Some accused the developers of essentially reverting gameplay mechanics to older versions of FIFA, where attackers dominated defenders with ease. Matches often ended with lopsided scores, reminiscent of earlier titles.

Adding fuel to the fire, rumors circulated online that the patch rolled back key features rather than fixing them. While EA officially denied these claims in late February, skepticism remains rampant. For many players, the core issues—poor balance, inconsistent AI behavior, and lackluster progression systems—persist.

One Reddit user summed it up perfectly: 

They fixed the symptoms, not the disease.

Others pointed out that the game’s reliance on microtransactions felt more exploitative than ever. Packs in Ultimate Team, which cost real money, were criticized for being overly randomized and offering little value. Players complained that building competitive teams now required either absurd luck or deep pockets—a recipe for frustration.

The Broader Context: Why This Matters Beyond EA

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The struggles of EA Sports FC 25 aren’t happening in a vacuum. Across the gaming industry, publishers are increasingly leaning on live-service models to maximize profits. From Fortnite to Call of Duty , games are designed to keep players hooked for months—or even years—through constant updates, seasonal events, and monetization strategies.

But this approach comes with risks. If players feel nickel-and-dimed or believe the core experience is broken, they’ll vote with their wallets—and their time. EA Sports FC 25 serves as a stark reminder that loyalty isn’t guaranteed, even for beloved franchises.

What’s Next for EA Sports FC?

So, where does this leave EA Sports FC? The franchise remains one of the most lucrative in gaming, but its struggles highlight the precariousness of relying on live-service models. Players are more discerning than ever, and retaining their loyalty requires constant innovation—not just Band-Aid fixes.

Moving forward, EA must strike a delicate balance. On one hand, it needs to continue refining gameplay to address lingering concerns. On the other, it must find ways to keep players engaged with fresh content, compelling events, and meaningful updates.

The good news? EA has shown it can course-correct when pushed. The bad news? Trust takes years to build and seconds to destroy. Whether EA can win back the hearts (and wallets) of its fanbase remains to be seen.

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A Wake-Up Call for the Industry

The struggles of EA Sports FC 25 aren’t just a problem for EA—they’re a warning shot for the entire gaming industry. As publishers increasingly pivot to live-service models, the pressure to deliver consistent value has never been higher. One misstep can alienate millions of players and send shockwaves through a company’s financials.

For now, EA is fighting to regain its footing. But if there’s one lesson to take away from this saga, it’s this: in the world of modern gaming, complacency is the enemy. And for EA Sports, the clock is ticking.

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