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Earlier today, I shared my initial impressions, as well as information about game presentation, about EA Sports College Football 25, a game I was able to play last week.

As part of that media event, I, along with other reporters and content creators, were briefed about many new updates and features in the game. We did not get a chance to play those specific features, but we spent several hours learning about them and talking about them.

I know fans (and heck, school-based personnel too) are very curious to hear more about specific gameplay modes. Here’s what I can share from those presentations, along with follow-up conversations I had with other developers.

First, let’s talk Dynasty mode.

In NCAA 14, players would level up a coaching skill progression tree over the course of their career. By winning games, hitting certain statistical achievements, signing recruits, etc, they would “level up” and could spend points to improve their skills in recruiting, scouting, and in-game performance.

In practice, virtually everybody leveled up their coach exactly the same way. You maxed out your recruiting level as quickly as possible, and then you started to put a little energy into the rest of your skillset. After a few successful seasons, you could max out every possible skill.

That’s no longer the case. Coaches will have a substantially more complicated skill tree in CFB25, with 11 possible branches, branches that provide boosts to recruiting, tactics, motivation and more. Developers told us that even over a 30 year coaching career, you won’t be able to max out every single branch. No coach, even Nick Saban, is perfect at everything, so you’ll need to make strategic decisions about what kind of coach you want to be.

That starts with your coaching staff. For the first time in the series, players can now specifically hire offensive and defensive coordinators…individuals who will have their own coaching skill trees. If your head coach is a more recruiting-focused guy, do you hire recruiting-centric assistants to double up on those bonuses (and potentially unlock new boosts)? Or do you hire coordinators whose skillsets compliment that of your head coach? Do you fire a coordinator who might be a poor fit, but is close to some of your biggest recruits?

Those coordinators could also potentially leave to become head coaches in the offseason. Or maybe a current head coach is somebody you could hire to be a coordinator. The game wants those staffing decisions to feel significant, because they don’t just impact your team ratings and play style, but also recruiting.

Oh yeah, let’s talk about how recruiting works.

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