EA FC 25 removes Pep Guardiola’s iconic Barcelona formation, and that’s not all

Connor Bennett
Pep Guardiola holding tactics board in changing room in EA SPORTS FC

EA SPORTS FC 25 is removing a few underused formations from EA SPORTS FC 24, but that means Pep Guardiola’s iconic False 9 formation is on the chopping block. 

When EA SPORTS moved on from the FIFA name, plenty of longtime players worried about what would come next. However, nothing much changed. Ultimate Team, Career Mode, Pro Clubs, and all the other fan-favorite modes stuck around. 

There have, of course, been gameplay changes along the way but EA SPORTS FC hasn’t really reinvented the wheel. There will be a new game in the form of EA SPORTS FC 25, with the devs adding a second installment in their non-FIFA titled series. 

In that new game, they will, however, be removing a raft of formations. One of those being removed is Pep Guardiola’s iconic 4-3-3 False 9 set-up that led Barcelona to an era of dominance in La Liga and in the Champions League. 

In-game, that formation is the 4-3-3 (5) option and it’ll also be joined on the cutting room floor by a handful of other formations including the previously popular 4-4-1-1 and 5-4-1 Diamond. 

All removed formations in EA SPORTS FC 25

  • 4-4-1-1
  • 4-3-3 (5)
  • 5-2-2-1
  • 5-1-2-1-1
  • 3-5-1-1
  • 3-4-3 Diamond
  • 5-4-1 Diamond 

Some of those removals have already annoyed fans. “4-4-1-1 was one of the most useful creative formations, why did they remove these?” one questioned. “Huge L,” another added. 

“False 9 and 4411 removed but 4321 remains. Can’t wait to play against the same boring formation again for a third year in a row after saying it was being removed,” another player complained. 

EA SPORTS FC 25 is making some other big changes across Ultimate Team and Career Mode this year, and will also introduce a new feature in FC IQ. So, we’ll definitely have some new things to get to grips with.