With the EA franchise releasing on an annual basis for over a decade, FIFA is often criticized by its long-time fanbase for not innovating enough through its yearly releases. Many claim the gameplay has recurring issues that are never fixed and others throw a lot of shade towards the repetitive commentary, but perhaps the biggest aspect that receives these complaints is the game’s career mode.
Following a player-controlled manager as they build their dream team and rise through the ranks, the systems in place haven’t been built upon in quite some time. However, it seems FIFA 21 is looking to fix that, with EA recently announcing some significant changes coming to the soccer game’s career mode through a new trailer on its YouTube channel.
The first of these is a more in-depth match sim, which improves upon the seemingly randomized system currently present in the FIFA games. While previously players would just know if they won or lost, they can now see an immersive match screen that plays out similarly to that of Football Manager, showing the ball moving around the pitch and where individual players are stood. Better yet, it allows the player to jump in and play certain parts of the match on the fly, which makes for a more freeing way to sim through uninteresting match-ups.
There will also be new transfer systems, including options to integrate realistic and unrealistic negotiations to tailor your ideal manager experience. Alongside that will be a new loan to buy systems, and AI managers can initiate them. Meanwhile, players can now be trained to take up new positions on the field, which is a wholly new feature added to FIFA 21’s career. It seems fans will be encouraged to experiment and create the most well-rounded team possible, subbing different players around to see what positions they’re best in. They’ll need it as well, with defensive AI being enhanced to make for much tougher games.
Another new addition appears to be something called “match sharpness,” which is a stat that will change the performance of a team’s players when at their peak. It can be boosted in training, which managers will want to focus on, because it could mean the difference between a tightly contested win or loss. Finally, it seems the team’s calendar will also get a huge overhaul, giving managers more control over what their team is doing between matches. This has been a point of contention for FIFA over the years, so allowing players more breathing room to train their team, give them a break, and conduct transfers will be a considerable asset overall.
FIFA 21 will release on October 9th for PC, PS4, and Xbox One and is also in development for PS5, Stadia, and Xbox Series X.