EA Sports UFC 4 announced: Trailer, release date, pre-order and more

Step into the Octagon of EA Sports UFC 4 this August.

EA Sports UFC 4 is set to hit the Octagon on August 14. As part of the celebration leading up to tonight’s UFC 251 pay per view event, EA Sports released the official reveal trailer for the next installment in the mixed martial arts game franchise.

The trailer features Israel Adesanya and Jorge Masvidal — who will serve as the global cover stars for UFC 4 — and captures their incredible rise to prominence within the sport. Some of their most iconic moments in the Octagon are recreated within the game, including the highlight reel moment when Masvidal knocked out Ben Askren with a flying knee in a UFC record of just five seconds.

“It’s mixed martial arts. We are the artists,” says the current UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. And that’s the general tone EA seems to be going with for UFC 4. If the Nigerian-born Adesanya, aka The Last Stylebender, can rise to fame in the UFC and become a champion , then so can you.

"In EA SPORTS™ UFC 4, the fighter you become is shaped by your fight style, your achievements, and your personality. Go from unknown amateur to UFC superstar in the new Career Mode, experience the origins of combat sports in two all-new environments, or challenge the world in new Blitz Battles or Online World Championships to become the undisputed champ."

Similarly, Masvidal has only recently become the face of the UFC and his journey to stardom has been equally fascinating. Masvidal became a household name after dropping Ben Askren in record time. He then fought and beat Nate Diaz in November 2019 to become the UFC’s BMF (baddest motherf—er).

Masvidal owns a 35-13 record but has only just now earned the opportunity to fight for the welterweight championship. He’s scheduled to fight Kamaru Usman for title tonight at UFC 251. He’s fighting on short notice after replacing Gilbert Burns who tested positive for COVID-19.

Suffice to say, both Adesanya and Masvidal deserve to be in the spotlight of the UFC although I’m a little disappointed that Amanda Nunes wasn’t featured as well. After all, she is the only “double champ” who has actually defended both titles while holding them simultaneously.

I don’t know how in-depth this UFC 4 Career Mode will be storywise as the trailer focuses mostly on the action in the Octagon. EA teases four new environments, including The Kumite, The Backyard, UFC Apex and Action Avenue, so it seems like the Career Mode will just serve as a backdrop for creating and developing your fighter across different stages of their career. This includes rivalries with other fighters, which could dictate your matches.

Here’s what EA says:

"Additionally, an overhaul to Career Mode introduces a brand-new way to develop fighter backstories and offers an in-depth evolution process for the duration of the fighter’s career. The new fighter evolution feature lets players dictate a fighter’s skillset, as every punch thrown, or every takedown executed builds fighters up in that specific discipline. Relationship Building brings the impact of partnerships and rivalries into UFC 4, learning from both friend and foe to gain experience and learn vital skills. Players can pick their path, which allows them to choose the fights, weight class and rivalries they want, ensuring no two careers are alike."

You’ll be able to select background performance details, like weight class and MMA discipline, including Wrestling, Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing, that will “define how players fight.” There will also be 1,600 pieces of gear that you can earn and over 120 emotes that you can choose from to give your fighter some personality. And we all know the UFC is now filled with big personalities.

Of course, when it all comes down to it, fighting is the most important part of a UFC game. EA promises:

"“…fluid clinch-to-strike combinations offer more responsive and authentic stand-up gameplay experiences, while overhauled takedown and ground mechanics deliver more control in those key phases of the fight… Fluid clinch control brings RPM into the art of the ‘clinch’, adding a key element of strategy to the striking system. RPM Tech drives a takedown overhaul, with a slew of new takedown animations, driven by player control and fighter attributes. A new submission system was built to offer a simplified player experience, with more ways to transition into submission attempts, accelerate a finish, or deploy high-impact slams to escape them.”"