How to Make Custom FIFA 14 Adboards on PC: A Complete Modding Class
Let’s be honest for a second. The fact that we are still playing FIFA 14 on PC in 2026 says a lot about how good the base game really is. But if you are still playing the vanilla version with those blurry, outdated 2014 sponsor banners running around the pitch, you are missing out.
The modding community has basically rebuilt this game from the ground up, and one of the easiest ways to bring that modern EA FC 26 vibe to your screen is by changing the stadium adboards.
Today, I am going to walk you through exactly how to create your own adboards or update the ones you already have. This is going to be a proper educational breakdown. I will explain the exact rules you need to follow because if you mess up the math on your image files, the game will punish you.
What You Actually Need
First things first, put the phone down. You cannot do this kind of modding on a mobile app. We are messing with internal PC game files, so you need actual computer software.
• Adobe Photoshop: You will need this. We have to use Photoshop because we need total control over image dimensions, layers, and how the file is saved. MS Paint or basic web editors are going to ruin the file format.
• Creation Master 15 (CM15): Think of this as the main engine room for your database. You cannot inject pictures into the game without it. If you haven't set this up yet, or you keep getting errors when opening it, go read my breakdown on How to Use Creation Master 15 for FIFA PC Modding before you do anything else.
• CG File Explorer 16: EA Sports hides a lot of game textures inside .rx3 files. Your computer doesn't naturally know how to read these. CG File Explorer basically cracks them open so we can look at the images inside. I wrote a whole guide on how to install and run it right here: CG File Explorer 16 & FSHed Modding Guide.
The Golden Rule: Don't Mess With The Dimensions
Okay, pay close attention to this part because it is where 90% of beginners fail. I see people in the comments all the time complaining that their game crashes to the desktop (CTD) the second they start a match. Almost every single time, it is because they got the image size wrong.
The FIFA 14 PC engine does not care how nice your graphics look. It only cares about the math.
Crucial Rule: Your adboard image file must be exactly 1024x128 pixels.
That is the standard size for high-definition textures. If you are playing on an older laptop and want to save some memory, you can scale it down to exactly 512x64 pixels.
Do not use 1025x128. Do not try to make a 1080p or 4K adboard. If you try to force a random size into the database, the game engine won't know how to wrap the texture around the 3D stadium model, and it will immediately shut down. Lock those dimensions in your head.
Step 1: Getting a Base Template
You should never start with a blank white canvas in Photoshop. It is a nightmare trying to guess where the sponsor logos should sit. Instead, we are going to steal an original adboard from the game and use it as a map.
Boot up CG File Explorer 16 and point it to your game folder. Head into the data/sceneassets/adboard folder. You will see a bunch of files in there. Pick any of the adboard_0.rx3 files, open it up, and export the texture inside to your desktop as a standard PNG file. Now you have a blueprint.
Step 2: The Photoshop Work
Open that exported PNG in Photoshop. Here is how you handle the actual design work.
If you are updating an old adboard:
Let's say you downloaded a mod a few years ago, and you want to replace the old sponsors with fresh 2026 logos. This is super easy. Just keep the old adboard as your bottom layer. Search Google for transparent PNG logos of the brands you want. Drag them into Photoshop and place them directly over the old logos. The original modder already did the hard work of figuring out the spacing, so just follow their layout.
If you are building from scratch:
If you want to make custom boards for your local club or just want a specific aesthetic, you can start fresh.
Pro Modding Tips:
• Never put your logos right up against the top or bottom edges of the canvas. The 3D models of the stadiums in the game sometimes overlap the boards a tiny bit. Leave a few pixels of empty space at the top and bottom so your logos don't get chopped in half when the camera zooms in during a goal celebration.
• Think about how the boards scroll in the game. The engine takes your image and loops it endlessly around the pitch. Try to make the left edge and the right edge blend well together so it doesn't look weird when the pattern repeats.
Save your final work as a normal 24-bit PNG file.
Step 3: Pushing it into the Game
We are almost done. Close Photoshop and open Creation Master 15 as an administrator. Load up your main database.
Click on the Stadiums tab at the top. Pick the stadium you want to edit from the drop-down list, and then navigate over to the Adboards section. Hit the import button and go find the PNG you just made. You should see a preview of it pop up on the screen.
Now, click Save. Be patient here. CM15 can be a bit slow, and if you click around while it is saving, it might freeze. Just let it do its thing. After it finishes, I always recommend running a quick "Regenerate BH" process just to force the game to read your new files instead of the old vanilla ones.
Final Thoughts on Hardware
Honestly, the craziest thing about modding this specific title is how incredibly well it runs. You can pack this game with custom HD graphics, modern faces, and brand new EA FC style menus, and it still runs smoothly without needing a crazy expensive graphics card.
If you happen to be gaming on a potato PC setup and want to find more stuff that doesn't melt your processor, take a look at my personal picks for the Top 5 Low-End PC Games for 4GB RAM.
Take your time with the Photoshop edits, double-check your pixel math, and your stadiums are going to look completely transformed. Have fun messing around with the files!
Post a Comment