EA Play: EA Sports FC 25 Is Coming to Game Pass Ultimate with EA Play
Charlie FortescueDirector, Global Corporate Communications, EA
Summary
EA Sports FC 25 joins EA Play’s Play List and will be available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox PC and Xbox Cloud.
Play the world’s game with unlimited access and groundbreaking features like 5v5 Rush, Clubs, and enhanced FC IQ tactics.
Score a limited-time Supercharge Pack, plus recurring rewards like Draft Tokens, and seasonal Clubs Rewards.
From June 12, Game Pass Ultimate members can manage their club to victory with EA Play. EA Sports FC 25 will be available on The Play List, giving them unlimited access to the world’s game. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members can enjoy more ways to play on Samsung devices. Players can stream EA Sports FC 25 directly to Samsung Smart TVs via Samsung Gaming Hub and the Xbox app – making it easier than ever to jump into the action.
As a member, you can experience more ways to win for the club with groundbreaking features like teaming up with friends in 5v5 Rush to play Ultimate Team, Clubs, and Kick-Off. In addition, FC IQ delivers greater strategic control and more realistic collective movement at the team level, while a new AI model, powered by real-world data, influences player tactics through all-new Player Roles.
EA Sports FC 25 features the best players from the biggest clubs and competitions around the globe, with match data from the world’s top leagues powering how 19,000+ players move, play, and win in every match.
Member Rewards
With EA Play, the rewards stack up fast, delivering benefits for your club like the limited-time Supercharge Pack (now through July 12), featuring 11x Rare Gold Players (82+), including one player with an 87+ OVR and one 93+ OVR TOTS Loan. You can also score recurring Rewards, including Draft Tokens and seasonal Clubs Rewards that let you shape the club to be truly yours. Plus, save 10% on EA digital purchases, including FC Points and more.
Membership for EA Play is included with Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscriptions at no extra cost.
Whether you’re scoring an unbelievable hat-trick in the EA Sports FC franchise, showing no mercy on suburban battlegrounds in theBattlefield series or timing a perfect hit to dominate the gridiron in the Madden NFL franchise, you can feel the thrill with EA for just $5.99 a month. Membership unlocks unlimited access to a collection of top titles, trials of select new games, in-game member rewards and more. Members also save 10% off EA digital purchases—including game downloads, points packs, and DLC.
For more details on all the EA Play member benefits this month, visit: EA Play Member Benefits. Conditions, limitations and exclusions apply. See EA Play Terms for details.
Fast Fusion is perhaps one of the best deals on Nintendo Switch 2 right now.
Priced at just £13.49 / €14.99 / $14.99, it rocks some serious chops with 4K/60fps support during docked mode, and a brand new fusion mechanic that will let you create dozens of unique vehicles.
Giant Squid’s upcoming title, Sword of the Sea, is a well-crafted union of all the titles the studio and Game Director Matt Nava have worked on. The aquatic wonder of Abzû, The Pathless’s sense of adventure, and Journey’s beautiful desert world. Sword of the Sea weaves those influences together so skillfully that it feels like this atmospheric surfing adventure was the goal all along.
I got a chance to go hands-on with Sword of the Sea and talk with Giant Squid about the new game, coming day one to PlayStation Plus Game Catalog on August 19.
Surfing across the sands and sea
The game begins as the player awakens as The Wraith, a vessel waiting to be filled, who is given the task of bringing the oceans back to the world. Appearing to be the last being left alive to get the job done, you receive a mystical surfboard and hit the dunes.
The starting area is a vast playground where you can get accustomed to the board, perform tricks, and learn how to interact with the world. As you zoom across the desert, you come across different nodes known as Ocean Seeds that allow you to cleanse the land and restore parts of the ocean and marine life.
Beyond pleasing aesthetics, water and sea life directly impact gameplay. The Wraith is significantly faster on water, leading to greater speed for bigger jumps and more tricks. Some sea life create new paths, like buoyant jellyfish that make great jump pads and long strands of climbable seaweed. Watching the landscape terraform was a highlight, as was searching for all the land’s secrets.
“Sword of the Sea is really all about the spiritual magic of surfing,” Nava explains. “ It’s inspired by my own experiences snowboarding, skateboarding, and surfing throughout my life. When you think of these extreme sports, the first thing that comes to mind is probably the high speed and the danger. But there’s more to it than just an adrenaline rush. When you are surfing on waves in the ocean, you are literally on the boundary between our world and the world beneath the waves, a world beyond our understanding.”
Golden triangles known as Tetra populate the world, acting as currency you can trade to mysterious vendors to learn more tricks, acquire skills, and open new paths. Want to see it all? You’ll have to detour off the main path to see and afford it all. Different vendors, triangles, and Trick Attack arenas are hidden throughout the world.
Show off your tricks and feel the terrain
Pulling off stylish moves in Sword of the Sea is straightforward. When surfing, once you jump you can press X again to perform a variety of double jump tricks. Once you acquire advanced tricks from the vendor, you hold L1 and press Triangle, Square, Circle, or X to do special grabs, flips, and spins. They score more points, and combining grabs and flips in different ways create new tricks. While the timing is a little trickier, you can give yourself a much-needed jump boost and score high-point combos when performed just right.
Sword of the Sea constantly keeps score of the tricks you pull and how advanced they are. Hidden Trick Attack arenas let you put those skills to good use. What does racking up a high Trick Score lead to? Yet another mystery we’ll have to wait to uncover.
Though the game takes place in the desert, there are plenty of different objects to grind on besides sea and sand. I came across ruins, ceramic tile roofs, and helpful aquatic life. The team at Giant Squid takes full advantage of the DualSense controller haptics to ensure every surface feels and sounds distinct. As I surfed along rooftops, I could hear the melodic tones of tiles underneath and the tingle in my fingers. The sand offers a coarse sensation, and you feel and hear the rushing water as you speed through on the makeshift highways parts of the ocean create.
“The haptic feedback of the DualSense controller reacts to each surface differently so you can feel it when you cross from one to the next,” says Nava. “Combined with special sound effects that play from the controller, it gives a very realistic sense of touching the surfaces you see in the game. We are very excited by the extra layer of detail the haptics adds to the experience of surfing in Sword of the Sea.”
You’re free to explore in any given direction, and hard-to-reach places usually reward you with something appropriate for the time and skill it takes to reach them. However, as you explore, you will discover murals and other environmental elements that keep the story ever-present. A tale of loss and destruction, and trying to find out how you fit into it all is an intriguing thread to follow. Especially since at the end of my session, it was clear that a mysterious character was following me. It appeared to be another wraith, but whoever the pursuer was didn’t give vibes of good intentions.
It’s easy to compare Sword of the Sea to its predecessors, but the game truly feels like an evolution of everything the Giant Squid team has worked on to this point. The game’s sights, sounds, and feel connected me with the land, and I can’t wait to hop on the board again and see what’s really out there.
“Our games have a really recognizable and unique art style, and tell atmospheric stories with their bold color and music,” says Nava. “We start with a feeling, an experience, and a message that we want the player to feel. Really, all our games are all about movement, and how it can connect you with nature and the world in different ways. Sword of the Sea builds on the ideas in all our previous games to create something that is both very Giant Squid and an exciting new adventure.”
Nintendo has updated its list of Switch 2 compatibility issues to request that Super Smash Bros. Ultimate owners refrain from using the Mii Fighter characters, as they’re currently breaking the game.
According to Nintendo’s Japanese support website (thanks, OatmealDome), the issue with Mii Fighter only occurs when Smash Bros. Ultimate is being played online, and a match takes place between one person on Switch 1 and another person on Switch 2.
In this circumstance, should one player be using Mii Fighter, Nintendo warns that an online match may end “immediately,” kicking both players out before the usual punch-ups can be had.
Nintendo hasn’t explained the reason why this issue is occuring, though the fact it is limited to Mii characters may suggest there is some difference to how the two console generations handle the custom avatars — leaving the game to give up on matches instead.
Indeed, Nintendo also warns that Mii Fighter thumbnails may also not save correctly on Switch 2, pointing to some kind of compatibility problem.
“An update will be released soon,” Nintendo has said, though there’s no word yet on when.
Originally released in December 2018, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is one of Nintendo’s best-selling games for Switch 1, with more than 36 million copies shifted. With the series’ largest player roster and years of extra content, the game has earned its Ultimate moniker — leaving many fans to wonder what might be next for the series.
Nintendo recently announced a new game from Smash Bros. series boss Masahiro Sakurai — though it’s not a new Smash Bros. title. Instead, the veteran designer and director is working on Kirby Air Riders, a fresh game for Nintendo’s pink puffball that’s due to launch on Switch 2 later in 2025.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
It’s been quite a while since Grasshopper Manufacture put out a completely original game, almost a decade in fact, with 2016’s Let It Die. Since then there’s been a couple No More Heroes, but during a presentation held last night from some company I’ve never heard of, PlayStation I think it was, the developer revealed something wholly new: Romeo Is A Dead Man. This was easily my personal highlight because of how balls to the wall stupid it looks, but it was missing an important thing known as a release date that a lot of other games actually featured for once. And that’s almost definitely because Grasshopper is a bit worried about GTA 6.
If you preorder the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of Pokémon Legends Z-A, you’ll be treated to improved graphics and frame rates. It’s also worth noting that if you buy the Nintendo Switch version, you can always upgrade it to the Switch 2 version by purchasing an upgrade pack.
What Is Pokémon Legends Z-A?
Set in Lumiose City, a place for both people and Pokémon, Pokémon Legends Z-A will see you living life as a Pokémon Trainer in the big city. You’ll be able to choose between Chikorita, Tepig, or Totodile as your starterPokémon to join you on a journey around the city. As mentioned in the title as well, you’ll also be able to participate in a tournament called the “Z-A Royale”, with the goal of working your way through the competition to reach rank A.
This year already has a stacked lineup of releases that are worth keeping on your radar. If you’re looking for even more games to add to your library, have a look through the other options up for preorder below.
Hannah Hoolihan is a freelancer who writes with the guides and commerce teams here at IGN.
Helldivers 2 developers Arrowhead have revealed the new gear that’ll be arriving in the game with its next warbond on June 12, and there’s an armour set that seems inspired by another franchise high on authoritarian satire, Judge Dredd.
Honestly, I’m surprised it’s taken that long for one of the warbonds – which as plenty of people have pointed out often amount to giving players a way to look even more fascisty than you do by default in Helldivers 2 – to dip into something Dredd-ish.
Nintendo fans have known for some time that Switch 2 is backwards compatible with Switch 1 games. But what happens when you do the reverse and stick a Switch 2 game in a Switch 1?
Insert a Switch 2-only game such as Mario Kart World in a Switch 1 and Nintendo’s last-gen console will simply display an error message, saying that the software is designed for Switch 2.
What is going on here? Well, Nintendo itself hasn’t gone into detail, but packaging for Switch 2 Edition games does note that cartridges contain both the original game and the Switch 2 upgrade.
“This Nintendo Switch 2 Edition comprises the Nintendo Switch game and the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrade pack,” Switch 2 Edition packaging reads. “The upgrade pack is also available separately.”
In other words, when you put a Switch 2 Edition cartridge in a Switch 1, the older console knows to ignore the Switch 2 bit and just play the original game.
Nintendo doesn’t appear to have ever stated in plain English that this is how some Switch 2 Edition cartridges operate, but it’s a useful feature to be aware of. For example, if you’re a Switch 1 owner who plans to buy Switch 2 in future, you could buy a Switch 2 Edition of a game now to play cross-gen when the time comes, without worrying about upgrading your game down the line.
“Huh. Confirmed that this does indeed work on a Switch 1. (As the OG Switch game.) Kinda surprised,” John Ricciardi, founder of Tokyo-based video game localization firm 8-4, wrote on Bluesky today, upon testing his Zelda: Breath of the Wild Nintendo Switch 2 Edition cartridge on a Switch 1.
It’s a system that’s not a million miles away from how Xbox handles ownership of games across its family of consoles. Owning a copy of a game unlocks access to different versions of said game, which the hardware will detect.
One difference, of course, is that Nintendo has decided to charge extra for some Switch 2 Edition versions — such as with Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and (deep breath) Super Mario Party Jamboree – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV.
Of course, just to make everything even more confusing, Nintendo has also provided other updates and upgrades to Nintendo Switch 1 games on Switch 2 for free — and it issued a long list of patch notes for titles such as Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, Zelda: Link’s Awakening and Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom earlier this week.
We’ve already seen a stripped-down Joy-Con, confirming (as Nintendo had already actually said) there’s no Hall Effect sticks in there, and now it’s the turn of the dear old GameCube controller in its new NSO form. Please remember that this controller, for now at least, only works on Switch 2, too (we tried it).
Coming to Game Pass: EA Sports FC 25, The Alters, FBC: Firebreak, and More
Megan Spurr, Senior Community Lead, Xbox Game Pass
We’re getting close to the Xbox Games Showcase, so you still have a little more time to download and play these games before we throw more at your “to be played” wishlist! For now, we have more updates, some day ones, and a few blasts from the past. Let’s get to it!
Available Today
Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced Editions (Cloud and Console) – June 5 Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Standard
Gather your party; the RPG saga returns. Immerse yourself in an epic RPG series where every choice matters. Play over 100 hours of adventure in enhanced editions of Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate II!
Coming Soon
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine – Master Crafted Edition (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – June 10 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Step into the armor of a relentless Space Marine and use a combination of lethal weaponry to crush overwhelming Ork forces. Immerse yourself in an intense and brutally violent world based on the richest science fantasy ever created. Enhanced for a new generation, this edition brings quality of life & graphical improvements.
Barbie Project Friendship (Cloud, Console, and PC) – June 11 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
Get ready for the ultimate Barbie gaming adventure as Barbie and Barbie work together to save a beloved Malibu landmark, the Malibu Waves Community Center! The once thriving destination is nearly abandoned and on the verge of being closed. It’s time to band together to restore the beloved community center to its former glory. Complete fun quests, unlock exciting minigames, and earn valuable community points to give outfits and spaces a stylish upgrade.
Kingdom: Two Crowns (PC) – June 11 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Collect coins, build defenses, and reclaim your Kingdom. Explore and uncover secrets, unlock technologies, and protect your crown against waves of Greed monsters. Kingdom: Two Crowns is a solo/co-op side-scrolling strategy and tower defense game set in a beautiful pixel world.
EA Sports FC 25 (Cloud, Console, and PC) via EA Play – June 12 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Lead the line and write league history for the club in EA Sports FC 25, coming soon to The Play List. Members can light up the stadium with stunning, title-winning tactics with unlimited access through Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta), PC Game Pass, or Game Pass Ultimate via EA Play. Claim the limited-time Supercharge Pack from June 12 through July 12, featuring 11x Rare Gold Players (82+), including one player with an 87+ OVR and one 93+ OVR TOTS Loan, and more.
The Alters (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – June 13 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Available on day one with Game Pass! The Alters is a sci-fi survival game where you play as Jan, stranded on a hostile planet. Create alternate versions of yourself — each shaped by different life choices — to survive, gather resources, and navigate deep moral dilemmas. Your past becomes your crew in this unique sci-fi survival.
FBC: Firebreak (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – June 17 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Available on day one with Game Pass! A cooperative first-person shooter set within a mysterious federal agency under assault by otherworldly forces. As a years-long siege on the agency’s headquarters reaches its boiling point, only Firebreak — the Bureau’s most versatile unit — has the gear and the guts to plunge into the building’s strangest crises, restore order, contain the chaos, and fight to reclaim control.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time (Console and PC) – June 17 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
Crash fourward into a time-shattered adventure with your favorite marsupials. Neo Cortex and N. Tropy are launching an all-out assault on not just this universe, but the entire multiverse! Crash and Coco are here to save the day by reuniting the four Quantum Masks and bending the rules of reality.
Lost in Random: The Eternal Die (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – June 17 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Available on day one with Game Pass! Lost in Random: The Eternal Die blends dynamic real-time action, tactical combat, and risk-reward dice mechanics for thrilling second-to-second battles. Unravel an original stand-alone story as Queen Aleksandra, the once great ruler of Random on a mission for vengeance and redemption.
In-Game Benefits
Zenless Zone Zero: Xbox Game Pass Benefits (Cloud and Console) – June 6 Game Pass Ultimate
Get this bundle and obtain the following Zenless Zone Zero in-game rewards: Polychrome ×80, Ether Battery ×2, Senior Investigator Log ×10, W-Engine Energy Module ×15, and Denny ×75,000!
Splitgate 2: Aeros Javi Ace Skin (Cloud, Console, and PC) – June 6 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Splitgate 2 is the only free-to-play shooter with portals. This Ace character skin is designed with Game Pass members in mind, with characteristic green and black stylings.
The Finals: Urban Ronin Set (Cloud, Console, and PC) – June 12 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Claim the Urban Ronin Set and a sleek collection of matching weapon skins, an emote, a gun charm, 25% Bonus Match XP, and 500 Multibucks!
Game Pass Ultimate Perks
Stumble Guys: Neon Bundle – Available now Grab the Neon Legendary skin, Popped Bubble emote, plus 250 gems and 50 tokens.
Minecraft: 1 Month Marketplace Pass – Available now (US ONLY) Get access to the Marketplace Pass for 1 month! Discover and customize your adventures with worlds, add-ons, skin & texture packs, and more.
Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms: 5 Free Champions – Available now (US ONLY) Adventure through the Forgotten Realms and beyond with the Dungeon Master’s Champions of Renown! Claim this perk to get 160 Platinum Champion Chests and to unlock five Champions, including Dungeon Master, Eric, Hank, Sheila, and Diana!
Apex Legends: Gold Tribal Mask Weapon Charm – June 5 Flex your style like a true warrior with the Apex Legends Gold Tribal Mask Weapon Charm, available with your EA Play membership.
Rainbow Six Siege X: Mute Pack – June 10 Rainbow Six Siege X marks its biggest evolution in the game’s history, bringing a visual overhaul, an enhanced player experience, and gameplay changes that deepen the game’s tactical core. For a limited time, claim a free pack that includes headgear, uniform, and weapon skin for Mute! Only available for console.
Leaving June 15
The following games will be leaving the Game Pass library soon, so be sure to pick back up where you left off or jump in fresh before they go! You can save up to 20% off your purchase on these games before they leave to keep them in your library.
Dordogne (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Hypnospace Outlaw (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Isonzo (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Keplerth (PC)
My Time At Sandrock (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Rolling Hills: Make Sushi, Make Friends (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Depersonalization (PC)
We’re adding more games over time to the ‘Stream your own game’ collection for Game Pass Ultimate members. Go to Xbox.com/Play to see the list of available cloud playable games to stream on supported devices if you own them.
As always, keep your eyes here or on Xbox, Game Pass, and PC Game Pass for the latest announcements, surprise drops, or handy reminders when these “coming soon” games are actually “available today”! We’ll talk soon!
