00:00 Welcome back to our EA Sports FC 24 Deep Dive Series.
00:05 I'm Leah Ravelle and I am here with two experts,
00:08 Jean and Richard from the development team,
00:10 to chat through what might be the biggest year in Ultimate Team.
00:14 How are we doing guys?
00:15 Hey Leah.
00:16 Hello.
00:17 There's so many new things we have to talk through today.
00:19 The ability to improve players in our club
00:21 with the brand new Ultimate Team Evolutions,
00:23 the inclusion of women's football, and play styles.
00:26 Let's get straight into it.
00:28 First up, we have to talk about Ultimate Team Evolutions.
00:31 Are you telling me that I can finally improve players from my club?
00:35 That's right.
00:36 We've never had anything quite like this in Ultimate Team.
00:38 There's so much to love about what this unlocks for people's passions,
00:43 for players, regardless of where they're at in their development.
00:46 Richard, do you want to explain how this works?
00:48 Yeah, so in Ultimate Team Evolutions,
00:50 you're going to be able to pick your favorite players
00:52 and upgrade them throughout the year.
00:54 It's pretty straightforward.
00:55 All you have to do is pick your favorite players,
00:58 complete objectives with them, and then get their upgrades.
01:01 For example, you complete 20 passes with them,
01:04 get two assists, and that completes level one
01:06 and earns you +10 short passing and also upgrades their weak foot.
01:10 You'll also be able to level up the player's item
01:13 so that your club favorites stand out when you load into a match.
01:16 Love that.
01:17 Moving on to one of my favorite things that I'm so excited to talk about.
01:22 Women's football is coming to Ultimate Team.
01:25 You got it.
01:26 The Ultimate Team dream is obviously to assemble
01:28 your favorite footballers from around the world into an Ultimate 11.
01:32 This is the biggest addition of top-tier players
01:34 we've ever introduced into the game at one time.
01:37 It's called Ultimate Team.
01:38 If you're not able to play with your favorite players,
01:40 it's not really your Ultimate Team.
01:42 So this year, with the introduction of more leagues,
01:44 and with Evolutions especially,
01:46 you're going to be able to make your Ultimate Team,
01:48 and it's not going to look like anybody else's.
01:50 Love it.
01:51 So, new players, some new leagues,
01:54 with the introduction of women's football,
01:56 how will chemistry work putting all of these new players into my Ultimate Team?
02:00 Well, chemistry will remain the same.
02:02 For example, Sam Kerr will link to WSL players,
02:05 her fellow Australians, and is going to link up with Chelsea players.
02:08 So in Sam Kerr's case, she'll link to Lauren James and Reece James.
02:12 Love that.
02:13 And what about heroes and icons?
02:15 Can you tell the people if we expect any new ones?
02:18 Yeah, absolutely.
02:19 You're going to be able to reach back into the history books
02:21 to play with some of the greatest players from the past.
02:23 But we know that the community has been wanting a change
02:27 when it comes to icon chemistry.
02:29 So, when you have an icon in your team,
02:31 they're going to apply a +1 league link to anybody in your squad.
02:35 So that just opens up more squad-building opportunities
02:38 and more ways for you to make your team.
02:40 Will these new players pop into packs like everyone else?
02:42 Yes, indeed.
02:43 Every player in Ultimate Team will share the same packs,
02:46 the same pitch, and will be included in promos throughout the year.
02:50 Speaking of packs, something I'm really excited about,
02:53 this year we have new sets, we have new animations,
02:55 including my personal favorite, a two-player walkout.
02:58 So if you pack two really great players,
03:00 they're both going to walk out at the same time.
03:02 That's awesome.
03:09 Well, I'm starting to put things together.
03:11 Five new leagues, thanks to women's football,
03:13 plus heroes and icons, and then players that I decide
03:17 to improve via Ultimate Team Evolutions.
03:20 Every squad is going to be so versatile, so different.
03:24 I love that.
03:25 That's exactly what we're hoping for.
03:27 Each of these new features should unlock a world
03:29 of new squad-building opportunities.
03:31 Your club should feel personal and unique.
03:33 So this is a great year for you to make your Ultimate Team truly yours.
03:38 I have to mention this new item design,
03:41 because we haven't talked about it yet,
03:43 and that's something that stood out to me right away.
03:45 It's a big change, you're right.
03:47 Redesigning the items was a chance to bring your favorite footballers
03:50 into focus, and helps you understand them at a glance.
03:53 The new layout makes room for bigger images,
03:55 more key information than ever before,
03:57 like League crests for chemistry, and even animated backgrounds.
04:00 And you'll notice new information as well.
04:02 So those PlayStyles+ that you see on the left side of the item,
04:06 these essentially will let you know what makes that player special
04:09 on the pitch, and how to get the most out of them in the game.
04:12 Yes, yes, I was actually watching this in the gameplay deep dive
04:15 the other day, and those sound amazing.
04:17 Are PlayStyles a big part of the gameplay dynamic in Ultimate Team?
04:21 Absolutely. They're a feature that takes gameplay beyond overall ratings.
04:25 PlayStyles and PlayStyles+ are how we're bringing those
04:29 signature abilities to life, so that players are more unique
04:32 and play more like their real-world selves.
04:34 Yeah, PlayStyles+ especially are something to look out for.
04:38 These signature abilities that are unique to world-class athletes
04:41 are reserved only for the best players.
04:44 You'll notice the difference when playing with players that have them.
04:47 Yeah, they're a great way to understand and get the best
04:50 out of the players on the pitch, and a great way to know
04:52 how to build a squad that has complementary skills and strengths.
04:56 I love it. Let's talk a little bit about Objectives.
04:59 Yeah, well, we've been working hard to give you more focus
05:03 and direction when you load up Ultimate Team.
05:06 With the new Objectives menu, it's easier to understand
05:09 what to play for and get back to the action.
05:12 There's also new navigation and a new quick switcher to cycle between modes,
05:16 so you can go straight from your squad to rivals,
05:18 or from SBCs to the Transfer Market.
05:22 And there's another thing. Claim All.
05:25 You'll finally be able to gather all your rewards from one group together at once.
05:29 Yes, yes. I know how much the community has been asking for that one,
05:32 myself included. Are there any other changes that we can tell them about?
05:37 Well, we've also made a little tweak to how players change position.
05:41 Anyone with a secondary position will automatically switch to that new position,
05:45 so you'll no longer need to get position modifiers
05:48 and keep toggling your players back and forth in different roles.
05:52 And this change will make SBCs a lot more seamless,
05:55 and you'll finally be able to use a player's secondary position in Draft
05:58 and get them some chemistry.
06:00 That's amazing. Well, you guys, thank you so, so, so much.
06:05 It's been a pleasure to talk through Ultimate Team with the both of you.
06:08 It feels, honestly, like a whole new game mode.
06:11 Ultimate Team Evolutions, women's football, play styles.
06:14 I cannot wait to get started. Thanks for chatting with us.
06:17 Yeah, thanks for having us, Leah.
06:19 This has been me, Leah Ravelle, signing off,
06:21 and we will see you back for more Deep Dives.
06:23 Welcome to the club.
06:25 [music]
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