EA FC 24 devs explain “bold” decision to mix men & women in Ultimate Team

❘ Published: 2023-10-03T15:33:35

EA SPORTS

EA FC 24 marks the first time that women’s players have appeared in Ultimate Team mode, and two of the devs behind the game have explained why the team decided to mix both sides of the sport rather than creating separate modes.

Alongside the new name, EA FC 24 brings plenty of new features for fans to get stuck into. The new Precision Passing opens the door for more precise through balls, while Tactical Visions add an extra layer of depth to Career Mode.

However, the biggest change introduced this year is the debut of women’s players in Ultimate Team, allowing fans to build mixed squads where the likes of Erling Haaland and Sam Kerr line up together.

EA had been steadily acquiring the licenses for a number of leagues since 2015, with many believing they were building towards a Women’s Ultimate Team mode. However, EA FC 24 devs have explained the decision to combine the two.

“Right from the beginning, it was important for us to think about Ultimate Team as one world, so again coming back to that ‘world’s game’ theme,” said EA FC 24 Senior Producer, Garreth Reeder, in an interview with Dexerto. “We knew it would be so powerful to have the ability to create your Ultimate Team across whatever league, gender, [or] anything else you could bring to the table.”

The game’s Executive Producer, John Shepherd, also mentioned that the team have been laying the groundwork for incorporating women’s players into Ultimate Team for some time.

Women’s players are also set to feature in Ultimate Team promos.

“It’s been multiple years. Even some of the Chemistry changes were in preparation for some of these pieces,” he added. “At the end of the day, it’s a big mix of what football is in the world. There are different players from different eras. It’s what Ultimate Team is about, it’s about choice, fun, value, and being fair.”

Garreth Reeder went on to say that the integration of women’s players in Ultimate Team is one of the additions he was most pleased about in EA FC 24 and he’s delighted to see the community embrace it.

“It’s a bold thing to be able to put that together. It’s one of the things I feel most proud of when I look at our feature set in FC 24,” he continued. “It’s just been amazing to see the reaction and how people are thinking about putting squads together.”

After this landmark year, fans will be hoping that the roster of stars from the women’s game grows in future versions of Ultimate Team, to create even more opportunities for unique and diverse squads.

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