How EA Sports UFC 3 overhauls its systems for a truly authentic sporting experience

EA Sports UFC 3 launches this Friday on PS4 (and EA Sports UFC 3 Champions Edition is out today)! And this year’s entry will show off some potent new possibilities.

For instance, we’ve put major work into the animation system, which we’re calling Real Player Motion technology. RPM tech will make every move you make, and every strike you take, feel more realistic. With thousands of new striking animations, you can now combine your strikes with slips and lunges, so that you can perform each move while in motion.

We also overhauled the damage system, which means that your positioning, stance, and vulnerability are critical factors. For example, your positioning on your opponent makes every punch an opportunity to finish the fight. Leave yourself open, however, and you could take a devastating counter blow.

Just like in the real octagon, your fighter’s footwork is now at the forefront of every tactical encounter. RPM creates unique animations that replicate real fighter movements, allowing you to move across the mat, close gaps, and manage distance with seamless fluidity.

The action starts when you pick your favorite UFC fighter from across multiple weight divisions in our launch roster. In close collaboration with the UFC, we selected the top-rated fighters from eight male divisions and two female divisions, popular legends of the sport, as well as up-and-coming talent. We think it’s our best launch roster yet, but be sure to let us know your thoughts! Browse the full fighter roster here.

For the first time in EA Sports UFC, the choices you make outside of the octagon impact your path to greatness inside of the octagon. Between each bout, you can make promotional choices that help you gain fans, build hype for your next fight, and earn more lucrative contracts from the UFC. How you promote outside of the Octagon matters just as much as how you perform inside of it — if you want to become the greatest of all time.

Build your fan base, create heated rivalries, and interact with them all on the new in-game social media platform. The choice is yours: Will you be the hot-headed contender, or the cool, calm, and collected champion?

Updated suite of multiplayer modes

Get your friends together, pick a fighter, and step into the octagon with one of these multiplayer modes:

Stand and Bang: Hone your stand-up skills as you fight your opponent toe-to-toe without the risk of having to grapple.

Knockout Mode: The rules to KO Mode are simple – both players start with the same amount of health, but with each devastating shot the health bar decreases. It’s a perfect way to hone your defensive abilities.

Submission Showdown: Only true skill can master the mat. Hone your ground game in this submission mode.

Custom Fight: Tune and adjust everything including stamina, transition speed, submission speed, grapple advantage, damage, health recovery, and perks to create your ideal bout.

Tournament Mode: The ultimate game mode for a group of friends. Choose your fighter and see how many opponents you can finish in a King of the Hill style tournament mode.

What’s more, you can get the Ultimate octagon experience with EA Sports UFC 3 Champions Edition. In addition to getting three days early access to the full game, you get one permanent Champion Fighter and more in Ultimate Team.

Choose between the five UFC 3 Champion fighters to permanently add to your UFC 3 Ultimate Team Lineup, including: Conor McGregor, Demetrious Johnson, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Georges St. Pierre, and Anderson Silva.

You will also receive an array of bonus content, too. Get full details here.

See you in the Octagon!