Rugby 25 Megathread

[Duktril]

Been waiting for this game since 2022.

Thank you, i really enjoy it. For all the unsatisfied players, try playing the game from the side and not the rear.

[SummV81]

Why does it magically fix the mechanics and code

[Burtreynolds25]

How do you transfer full stop… is this even a feature in any mode? I can’t edit any team. I mean most of the teams are up to date but I’d like to do a few trades here and there. Surely it’s an easier function than in game mechanics ?

[Nathaaan89]

Just played my first online game - super fun vs playing CPU.

Racked up 3 or 4 tries and the chap quit in the 60th minute…

Issue is after the game disconnected, it shows played 1, lost 1?!?!?!

[FortyMotorsport]

You surely weren’t expecting it to track things like that properly were you?!

[crasher79]

I’m just happy I can actually get through a game now , simple things eh

[tigersmad]

Can you not assign a player to a teams roster yet tried to put Radwan to Leicester Tigers

[Helgawornka1980]

Commentary criticizes kicks to touch every single time they go into touch, saying that they have missed touch and it’s a terrible kick.

The scrum minigame is far too fast and impossible to time. The exit buttons also don’t work reliably.

The passing function is very unreliable and too hard to execute in real play, making it impossible to have any kind of back move, which is a step back from the last version of this game.

The rucking, as I’m sure many have already said, is completely random + the triangle button tackler jackal is unusable.

When playing against another novice we simply have whole halves where one person has the ball unless the computer does something stupid and you get a turnover by accident.

It’s still possible to throw the ball to the wing and it just goes straight out into touch.

The free play player with the red circle is very difficult to control and difficult switch in real play when someone is running at you in attack. Because it keeps switching around much like the passing indicators, it becomes unusable.

All in all, this is a great looking game but the gameplay is totally random and frustrating and miles below the standard of what a game should be when you’re buying it off the shelf. Unless there’s a huge update within the next week I will be wanting to get my money back. It plays worse than rugby 22.

[Helgawornka1980]

And don’t even start me on the offside calls…

[JoJoFlix]

Some face scans are just completely wrong, just have a look at Curwin Bosch at Brive. This needs to be fixed please.

Also Having a lot of passes just bullet towards the floor it either goes out or stolen by opposition or they hang so long I’ve lost momentum and get sent behind the game line.

[Deker79]

Second game done. More issues (which have probably been said numerous times) but I’ll say them anyway:

Passing icons constantly changing. Players are far too slow to get in position, meaning the corresponding passing icons are always changing. They should be constant, eg X for close, then square, triangle and then circle for furthest away.

And on positioning there really needs some work done on that. It should generally go 10, 12, 13, 15 then winger off rucks and mauls (appreciate sometimes a little bit of mix and match), just now its a guessing game as to who is going to end up with the ball when you pass, either because the players are randomly spread across the pitch (forwards and backs), or because the game just decides to pass to a random player instead of the closest.

I find it difficult to identify and pass to the players i want to, particularly the number 15, as I generally have no idea where they are. The default positon for the 15 just now seems to be directly behind the 10 at set piece times or rucks, i want him out wide making the overlap, as generally the 15 is one of the quickest and most offensive players on the pitch!

Hitting R1 or L1 should just pass one to the right or one to the left. In just had a midfield ruck with an obvious 3 on 2 on the left, but when I hit L1 it missed the first player completely, and then hitting L1 again to pass to the winger missed them completely and it went into touch. Passing in general is rubbish, the amount of balls that get flung into touch instead of going to the player on the wing is ridiculous!

Depth and width just now are lacking.

There needs to be an icon or something to show when the scrum half (or whichever player is there) is ready to pass from the back of the ruck, as a lot of time its not obvious and the player ends up picking and going when i don’t want to.

I got stuck in a bit of an endless loop of scrum penalties as despite hitting the button for pass or number 8 pickup numerous times nothing was happening.

Repeatedly being caught offside when my team has the ball.

Stealing the ball at the ruck is so cumbersome. There needs to be a dedicted jackling animation in the initial stages of the ruck where one player can latch on, pick it up and play it.

Just now all I’ve seen is just 3 players pushing over and one player then picking it up and almost instantly being tackled (look at RC4 or R22 and how those games dealt with turnovers). If the players win/turn over the ruck it should be controlled at the back, still in the ruck to allow the 9 to step in and pass without being tackled straight away.

AI players with injuries not being subbed off.

Why can’t a forward drive off a maul, the only option is for a pass or run from the scrum half.

Maybe its just me, but i can’t get any height on up and unders, even in the tutorial.

Couldn’t sub off an injured player. Could sub any other player, but i couldn’t even select the injured player to swap them with a sub (I hadn’t used any subs at that point)

[TimDUK]

Just played a couple of games. No crashes. And I managed to strong a few passes together. Today’s patch has definitely helped, notwithstanding all the issues mentioned already.
It may be coincidence, but I won a ruck over when my 3 players joined at once and I hit triangle as they connected to the ruck, pushing off the opposition. This may have been a fluke, but would be cool if this was a thing! Please give it a try.

[Deeps]

This is actually such a bummer, I was really excited to get my hands on a new rugby game and have been following the progress and watching YouTube videos of the game since they initially announced it years ago, but i’m not spending my money on this until the developers somehow manages to fix the gameplay and all the glitches

[Nathaaan89]

Might be the latest patch, but try double tapping the pass button for a ‘deep pass’ when running with the back line.

Had a quick game earlier and gave this a try and was able to string three passes together and felt like the players had more time on the ball when completing a ‘deep pass’ rather than a normal one.

I know the tutorial for this is completely pointless and doesn’t matter if you do a normal pass or not. But hoping in game it might make a slight difference.

[Seawolves]

Playing much better on Series X today. Played 5 games in Career and 1 online - no crashes.

Pass to wing going out to touch is obnoxious.

A surefire run seems to just be run out of ruck and pull left thumb stick down to bounce off first defender. I’m getting tons of meters each time.

This is my first rugby game, and I wanted to get it since it has MLR on it, and I’m having a blast! Janky, but fun. Patches already helping it a lot…

[AzaMatt345]

This same tactic worked in Rugby league live 4

[js_dev_uk]

Rucks Deep Dive

The three actions that occur most in a rugby match are: passes, tackles, and rucks. If a rugby video game gets these wrong, it will result in a poor quality product.

Rugby 25, for now, has two elements for defensive rucks and one element for attacking rucks:

Defensive rucks:

• Jackling
• Clear Outs

Attacking rucks:

• Securing the ball

In terms of securing the ball, it works pretty well. However, it would really benefit the player to be able to add or remove players and increase or decrease the jeopardy of not successfully securing the ball. This is also exacerbated by the aesthetical issue that every single ruck looking like a rugby league scrum (more on that in a moment).

Defensive rucks:

• Jackling - this is currently almost impossible to perform. Either the defensive player is outnumbered before the ruck is even formed (which, understandably is likely at the majority of rucks) - or, as is the big issue, the defensive player doesn’t instantly join the ruck and start jackling in time due to lagging/delay in response of the player. This leaves the user feeling frustrated as there is almost no chance of successfully contesting a jackal that results in a turnover (either ball ripped, or a ‘holding on’ penalty).

• Clear outs - in real life, a successful clearout is down to two possible causes - 1) Technique of the defensive player(s); or 2) More defensive numbers = more strength/mass/power to push back the attacking team. I can see that the latter is intended in the game, but not executed well. It is impossible to add more than 3 players to increase strength/mass/power and increase possibility of a clear out. Right now, clearouts seem totally random as to when they occur. This could allude to point 1), technique - which is fine if so - but in reality, most clearouts occur because of point 2) than point 1).

Aesthetics:

From an immersion point of view, the way the rucks currently look does not leave me feeling like I am playing a rugby game. The look very much like they are, in fact, scrums from Rugby League - 3 on 3 with straight body positions. A ruck will be more fluid in the body positions players will find themselves in, and also a lot more pushing (and leg and hip flexing).

Additions:

Attack - Add or remove players.

• ‘Add’ reduces jeopardy of losing a ruck, but leaves few passing options.
• ‘Remove’ increase jeopardy of losing the ball

Defense - Add or remove players

• ‘Add’ increase probability of a turnover via clear out, but also increases jeopardy as leaving gaps in the line if the attacking team gets the ball out and starts passing.
• ‘Remove’ decreases probability of a turnover via clear out, but also reduces jeopardy as less gaps in the line for the attack to exploit.

Holding On penalties - if it were possible to add more defensive players to a ruck, then this could be a trigger for increasing risk of a holding on penalty being called.

I am unsure, now that the game is released, if any of the above points can be actioned, but if they could - it would drastically improve the game, along with tightened-up passing and tackle animations (removing all traces of rugby league tackle animations).

[gjd2189]

Rugby is an incredibly complex sport to translate into a video game, and I hope all giving feedback can understand that and keep it constructive in here. With that in mind, there are several aspects of the gameplay that feel rigid, unintuitive and lacking in realism to me. I think improvements need to be made to collisions, AI behavior across the board, the ruck system, kicking mechanics, scrummaging, camera angles, referee logic, crowd engagement, and the tutorials for the game to pass as adequate, to be frank. Here’s some thoughts in detail:

1. Player Collisions Feel Unnatural & Lack Fluidity

Tackles and impacts feel unpredictable—players sometimes clip through each other, bounce off unnaturally, or fall in ways that don’t reflect real-world physics.

Suggestions:
• Ensure momentum-based collision resolution, so size, speed, and body positioning affect the outcome of contact.
• Implement blended animation transitions instead of abrupt animation shifts.
• Improve ground interaction effects (divots, sliding, dust particles) for immersion.
• Use ragdoll blending instead of full ragdolls, which can sometimes look too chaotic.

Question for the team:
• How does the engine handle collision detection and force calculations? Could impulse response curves be tweaked to improve realism?

2. Player involvement in rucks feels limited & unresponsive.

The ruck system doesn’t provide enough control, making contesting feel passive and unpredictable.

Suggestions:
• Allow manual ruck commitments—players should be able to choose how many forwards enter a ruck.
• Implement quick bind mechanics, so nearby forwards react instantly rather than standing idly.
• Add a power gauge to reflect pushing force, giving control over whether to compete aggressively or conservatively.
• Improve AI ruck behavior, ensuring forwards closest to the ruck react realistically.

Question for the team:
• Is there a way to introduce dynamic ruck control mechanics or even tactics that can be changed in the fly, mapped to the D-Pad, allowing players to dictate engagement levels rather than relying on automation?

3. Kicking Assignments Must Be Strictly Enforced

Forwards should never be taking conversions or penalty kicks—this completely breaks realism and is pretty cringe when it happens, which has been frequent.

Suggestions:
• Implement a strict kicker hierarchy, ensuring only designated players (typically fly-half, fullback, or a specialist) take place kicks.
• Make sure the game updates the kicker role dynamically when substitutions occur.
• Prevent proximity-based kicker selection—the correct kicker should always take the kick, even if they need to reposition first.

Question for the team:
• Does the engine currently support predefined kick taker roles? If not, could this be a simple fix by adding position-based restrictions?

4. Scrummaging Mechanics Feel Clumsy & Unintuitive

The L2 and R2 controls in scrums feel awkward and don’t provide a smooth, responsive experience.

Suggestions:
• Consider remapping scrum engagement to a single-button timing mechanic, similar to other rugby games.
• Provide more visual feedback during scrums, indicating when to push or hold engagement.
• Improve the binding mechanic, so scrums feel like a contest of timing, positioning, and power balance rather than just button mashing.

Question for the team:
• Are there alternative control schemes being explored for scrum mechanics?

5. Up-and-Under Kicking Feels Awkward & Unreliable

Up-and-under kicking doesn’t seem to work well, and the control scheme feels unintuitive.

Suggestion:
• Consider Rugby Challenge 4’s approach, which provides a better blend of kick height, timing, and chase mechanics.
• Improve kick targeting mechanics, so players can place high balls with more precision.
• Ensure AI teammates react dynamically, sprinting onto the ball rather than standing still.

Question for the team:

•	How does the current system determine kick power and trajectory? Could a manual aiming mechanic with visual ais improve accuracy?

6. Camera Angles Are Not Helpful – Dynamic Zoom Needed

The default camera views make it difficult to track play, particularly during rucks and attacking phases.

Suggestions:
• Implement a dynamic zoom system, which automatically adjusts based on field position and attacking phases.
• Provide custom camera settings, allowing users to adjust height, zoom, and angle.
• Add a wider tactical view to help users plan ahead and read defensive structures.

Question for the team:
• Would it be possible to introduce a player-relative zoom system, similar to other modern sports games?

7. Tutorials Are Clunky & Dated

The tutorial system is frustrating to navigate, requiring players to exit to the main menu to access different tutorials. Of course, the tutorials are only going to be as good as the gameplay they’re helping you to understand, and it’s evident there’s lots of work still be done.

Suggestions:
• Implement an in-game tutorial overlay, so players don’t have to keep returning to the menu.
• Provide a progressive tutorial system, where players can flow seamlessly from one lesson to the next.
• Add contextual tips during gameplay, reinforcing mechanics as situations arise.

Question for the team:
• Would an interactive in-match tutorial be possible, rather than forcing players to navigate back and forth in the menu?

8. Referee Interactions & Advantage Rule Must Be Implemented Properly

Rugby relies on strong referee presence, yet in-game, referees feel underdeveloped.

Suggestions:
• Implement referee voice lines, calling out penalties, scrums, and advantage play. Appreciate this might be a pain to record having done all of the audio already, but wouldn’t take much effort. Hell, I’ll record them myself for you if you want.
• Ensure advantage is played correctly, allowing teams to continue if they gain forward momentum before a penalty call.
• Add referee positioning mechanics, so referees move naturally with play.

Question for the team:
• How does the current system handle advantage rules? Would a real-time logic check help determine if play should continue?

9. Crowd Atmosphere & Reactions Need to Be More Dynamic

The crowd feels static and unresponsive, failing to react appropriately to key moments like big tackles, tries, or referee decisions.

Suggestions:
• Add crowd reaction logic to trigger animations and sounds based on gameplay events:
• Big hits → audible gasps & fans standing up.
• Line breaks → crowd noise swells in excitement.
• Tries → dynamic celebrations, flags waving.
• Missed kicks → audible groans or frustration.
• Controversial referee calls → boos or applause.

Question for the team:
• Is there a way to link crowd audio/animations to specific in-game triggers better?

Plenty more to feedback, but these are my thoughts after a few games on PS5. Happy to report no crashes thus far. Thanks for reading if you did.

[PJ1996]

My question for you is how are you winning by 5? Ive played several gsmes now as quins and cannot seem to get hold of the ball let alone win. Started to get a few tries here and there now, but butchering huge opportunities by launching the ball into touch when i try to get wide.

[NotRoss]

Using one off forward runners and pick and drives, thumb stick down to palm off makes pretty good meters and then when they’re compressed I send it out
Beat New Castle by like 40

I press B 3 times on rucks to bind and then for the duration of the ruck i normally spam X, been getting a fair few turnovers this way, not been bothered to press Y

One upsetting thing is though Leicester just purchased Joe Marler off me and I didn’t have a enough money to keep him, can’t be too sad though bc he gets to play with coley now