EA FC 25: New Ultimate Team changes might force players to play Rivals more than Squad Battles

EA Sports recently released Pitch Notes highlighting the game mode changes being introduced in EA FC 25 Ultimate Team. The developers detailed the new rewards for modes like Squad Battles, Rivals, and UT Champions, with some major changes to the packs on offer, as well as the number of games required to obtain these benefits.

The most notable changes when it comes to the overall match requirements were made to Squad Battles and Rivals. EA Sports has reduced the number of Squad Battles games that count towards your progress from 32 to 14 per week. At the same time, the number of Rivals wins required to obtain the best rewards has been increased from 7 to 15 in EA FC 25 Ultimate Team.

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EA FC 25 Ultimate Team has shifted emphasis from Squad Battles to Rivals

EA Sports has described Rivals as "your everyday destination for online competitive play" in EA FC 25 Ultimate Team. With the number of total games being lowered for Squad Battles, Champions Playoffs, and Champions Finals, it is evident that Rivals will be the main hub for gamers looking to step onto the virtual pitch over the course of every week.

The changes have been highlighted in the Pitch Notes (Image via EA Sports)

Squad Battles were first introduced to Ultimate Team in FIFA 18, and the mode has been slightly tweaked over time. While the number of games required and the rewards have been updated over the years, the mode has remained fairly unchanged. On the other hand, the Rivals mode has had some major changes since it was first introduced in FIFA 19.

Rivals has also become the proving ground for the best gamers in the world, as it is the qualifying mode for FC Pro aspirants who want to play the game competitively. The new rewards are also extremely enticing, with 15-win rewards for Elite Rivals being the following:

• 75,000 Ultimate Team Coins
• Two Tradeable 85+ Player Picks (Pick 1 of 4)
• Untradeable 75 Gold Rare Players Pack
• Tradeable 50 Gold Rare Players Pack
• Tradeable Mega Pack
• Two Untradeable 83+ TOTW Player Packs

With such major improvements being made to Rivals, while Squad Battles remains fairly stagnant and losing its importance due to the reduced games, it is apparent that EA Sports prefer the former over the latter. This comes as no surprise, as online competitive gameplay is the essence of Ultimate Team, providing the biggest challenge as well as the best rewards.

That said, with Squad Battles only requiring 14 games, it will still be a very tempting proposition in the early stages of the title for those looking to obtain amazing players as soon as possible in EA FC 25.