Rugby 25 Review — Finally Another Good Rugby Game?

Disclaimer: Reviewing Rugby 25 is like trying to hit a moving target – it’s currently (as of the time of writing) a drastically different game to what launched; and weekly updates seem to be improving it. However, the people want to know, and a review is needed. So below is the version 1.0.2791 build of Rugby 25 with the 11 March 2025 patch installed.

You’d think having a solidified rugby gaming franchise on the market would be a no-brainer given the global appeal of the sport, but the reality is that making a really good rugby game that captures the dynamism of the sport is actually really hard. A few games over the years have provided some enjoyable experiences, but the fandom always reverts to EA’s Rugby 08 as the safe haven benchmark of rugby games. However, Rugby 25 has some interesting pedigree and hope behind it with Big Ant Studios, known for their excellent work on the Rugby League Live series, throwing their expertise into the project. But, does Rugby 25 deliver?

Rugby 25 has gone through quite the ringer prior to its release after being delayed a few times and undergoing an extensive Early Access phase; and admittedly, upon its release on 13 February, is still somewhat of a work-in-progress that the developers themselves concede to.

The game has seen some notable updates since launch, along with small patches every odd day, making the experience a lot better thanks to some small but substantial improvements.

There’s no doubt that Rugby 25 has brought with it the licenses and pazazz of the rugby world. Just about every competition under the sun is there, with everything from the URC and Super Rugby to the Top 14 and Six Nations available to play, along with the ability to create your own competition. 100s of licensed teams all with pretty good likenesses and accurate kits are well modeled, so the game looks the part, and the developers should be praised for that.

There is a career mode too, which dives pretty deep into the management side of things, allowing you to play through a multi-season competition, select suitable training programs for your players (boosting their attributes in the process), recruit stars, manage the squad, and all the extras that go with it. It’s surprisingly in-depth, but the menus and UI aren’t the slickest around, so working through all the pop-up windows and working out what effect your management decisions are having can be a bit confusing.

There’s also an impressive customisation suite, allowing you to build players, stadiums, and team logos and kits. So, there’s no lack of things to do in Rugby 25, but the thing everyone wants to know is: does it play well?

Rugby 25 leans on the foundations, physics, and systems of the Rugby League Live franchise, but anyone who’s played a previous rugby game will feel at home. Using the bumpers to pass, face buttons to kick and tackle, and a combination of the two to do a few more intricate things.

Passing is arguably the most important foundation of any rugby game, and Rugby 25‘s system uses a few things from the Rugby League Live series to feel more versatile. The normal shoulder button presses will fling the ball to the closest adjacent player. There is the option to hold down a shoulder button to allocate face buttons to different potential receivers, allowing you to shoot a more direct pass to a specified player. It works well and does have a dynamic feel to players who like to pick massive cut-out passes and inside passes.

So the passing system works – it could have a few more options (Rugby League Live‘s double-press flat passing would’ve done wonders), but the problem with the gameplay is that the running lines are a bit simplistic and the depth that the backline stands is a little too shallow (with no way to adjust it, currently).

So even when you do get some momentum and begin swinging the ball around, the receivers are so shallow and close to the defensive line, that you barely get any time with the ball in-hand. Of course, there are moments where you get a lucky runner who hits a great defensive-cutting line, or a winger who seems to run a perfect flat or wide supporting line for a final pass to score a try — but these moments are few and far between.

This lack of line depth also affects kicking, giving you very little time to pull off an impromptu kick. You can get one away, but you have very little time to do so. The developers have subsequently added a ‘pocket’ capability, allowing you to tap the D-pad when you win a ruck to send a kicker deep into the pocket. It helps for more static kicks and exit plays, but it still leaves kicking with the line-depth of general play a gamble.

The rucking system, upon launch, barely worked but has been improved quite drastically. You can allocate players to a ruck, with the more players in, the more power you get at the breakdown. If you can beat the other team’s power, you can steal the ball or get a pushover. It still seems like a bit of a roulette whether you win or not, but trying to isolate ball carriers and then strategically deciding when to throw in counter-ruckers is key, rather than mashing the button every time.

On the defensive side of things during general-play, Rugby 25 works a bit smoother. Simple tackling is responsive and snappy (although a little too ‘magnetic’ at times), but works well. There is a diving tackle button (triangle or Y on consoles), but curiously, it doesn’t seem to wrap up the players’ feet like it does in the Rugby League Live games. It’s a great option in the RLL games and is sad to see it not present (or at least working) in Rugby 25.

When it comes to set-pieces, the mauls, lineouts, and scrums are all pretty stock standard in terms of function. The scrums are the biggest bugbear, as the timing of the shunt (requiring you to hit both triggers) just seems unresponsive and the instructions of how and when to hook are vague.

The result of this mixed bag of gameplay elements is that Rugby 25, while a really solid foundation and can be fun, requires a bit of wrestling with it in order to make it ‘click’. It may not be the definitive game of the genre or a spiritual successor to Rugby 08 that so many gamers want, but it’s a different spin on the rugby sim genre, giving you a lot of tools and customisation that can scratch the itch of true rugby purists. If you’re willing to give it a try and have some patience with its mechanics, there’s a fair bit to enjoy with Rugby 25.

Of course, it’s constantly being updated, so if you’re willing to be part of the Rugby 25 ‘vision’ and ongoing improvement and are happy to endure a few hiccups, it’s worth checking out in our books.

Rugby 25 is available on Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Xbox One, PS4, and PC.