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| Image Credit / Tech Radar |
FIFA 21 is now official. At EA Play 2020, developer EA Sports unveiled the next iteration generation of its football video game (alongside the American football game Madden NFL 21), which promises that players will be able to “feel next level” on the next-gen PS5 and Xbox Series X.
Additionally, we also have the release date for FIFA 21 — October 9 — though you can start playing earlier if you subscribe to EA / Origin Access or pick up one of the more premium FIFA 21 editions. Speaking of editions, EA Sports has also unveiled pricing for FIFA 21. It looks like Steam has revealed the release date for FIFA 21. This Steam page has listed the game to arrive on Friday, 9 October 2020 – two weeks later than anticipated.
Will, there be a FIFA 21
If you hadn’t cottoned on by now, FIFA 21 has been announced! It was confirmed ahead of EA Play in June.
FIFA 21 Release Date
EA often releases their football title on the last Friday of September – but this looks to have been pushed back two weeks until Friday, 9 October 2020.
Early Access
Those who are members of EA Access will get eight hours of gameplay available around two weeks before the game comes out. This should be around Friday, 25 September 2020.
FIFA 21 Editions
Along with the release date, the various editions have also been revealed! The Standard Edition will be £59.99 / $64.99 (£54.99 / $59.99 on PC), while the Champions Edition is £79.99 / $79.99 and the Ultimate Edition is £89.99./ $99.99.
Early Access & Pre-Order
Pre-order the FIFA 21 Standard Edition and receive:
Up to 3 Rare Gold Packs (1 per week for 3 weeks)
Cover Star Loan Item for 5 FUT matches
FUT Ambassador Player Pick — Choose 1 of 3 player items for 3 FUT matches
Special Edition FUT Kits and stadium items
You can get three days early access to FIFA 21 by pre-ordering the Champions Edition or the Ultimate Edition.
You’ll also get the following bonuses:
Champions Edition
Up to 12 Rare Gold Packs, 1 per week for 12 weeks
Cover Star Loan Item, for 5 FUT matches
Career Mode Homegrown Talent — A local youth prospect with world-class potential.
FUT Ambassador Player Pick — Choose 1 of 3 player items for 3 FUT matches.
Special Edition FUT Kits and stadium items
Ultimate Edition
LIMITED TIME ONLY — PRE-ORDER FIFA 21 Ultimate Edition by 14 August and receive:
Limited-time bonus — An untradeable FUT 21 Ones to Watch item.
3 days of early access
Up to 24 Rare Gold Packs, 2 per week for 12 weeks
Cover Star Loan Item, for 5 FUT matches
Career Mode Homegrown Talent — A local youth prospect with world-class potential.
FUT Ambassador Player Pick — Choose 1 of 3 player items for 3 FUT matches.
Special Edition FUT Kits and stadium items
Free Upgrade to Next-Gen
EA has confirmed that if you buy the game on Xbox One or PS4, you won’t need to buy the game a second time. On FIFA 20, the Champions Edition included 5 Rare Gold Packs, Loan ICON Player Pick & Special Edition FUT kits in Ultimate Team.
The Ultimate Edition included 10 Rare Gold Packs, Loan Icon Player Pick & Special Edition FUT Kits.
Xbox Series X
We believe there will be slight tweaks for the Xbox Series X version of the game.
Madden 21 will be “optimized for Xbox Series X“, so expect greater processing speeds and perhaps slightly better graphics on the new console. Let’s hope this leads towards a much smoother FIFA 21!
PS5
With the console shown off, we’re now on countdown time to when we can see some EA Sports gameplay on the new PlayStation.
It will be much the same on the PS5 as on Xbox Series X, with only subtle tweaks expected for the Next Gen version – with the now bespoke edition of the game for either PS5 or Xbox Series X. Expect FIFA 22 for when these new consoles can flex their muscles.
Cross-Platform
For the second time in the space of a week, and EA title has been confirmed for cross-platform play! Star Wars: Squadrons, which will be shown in-depth at EA Play, has been announced for cross-play, following a recent update on the already released Need For Speed Heat.
We’re now at a stage where it’d be a surprise as well as a disappointment if the same wasn’t to happen for FIFA 21 and Madden 21. With these games now available on Steam too – there’ll be a whole host of players to come up against.
Trailer
At EA Play, we saw a combined FIFA 21 and Madden 21 Trailer, showcasing the game on NextGen. Despite no bespoke versions for PS5 or Xbox Series X, it looks as if by playing the game on NextGen, we will get greater visuals.
Fan-Made Trailer
It looks to be the same FIFA 20 engine just with updated kits, with FACE OF FIFA also hoping for a return of Juventus to the game.
Demo
The demo will be the first chance most get to get a hands-on feel of the game. The demo should be on our consoles from Friday, 18 September 2020.
In FIFA 20’s Demo, the teams available in the Champions League kick-off were:
Borussia Dortmund
Chelsea
Liverpool
Paris Saint-Germain
Real Madrid
Tottenham Hotspur
With EA adding the Copa Libertadores licenses midway through FIFA 20, maybe we could see some South American teams also appear. Expect Volta Football to return in the demo, as we wait to see if EA make any changes to the street mode for FIFA 21. As for Ultimate Team, it’s unlikely we’ll get a look at this during the demo, with the same going for Career Mode.
Cover Star
The FIFA cover star is always a heated debate over the summer months, with greats such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Thierry Henry having earned the title before. A 20 was fronted by Real Madrid’s latest Galactico Eden Hazard, but who will follow him? His Belgian teammate Kevin De Bruyne is rumored to be the cover athlete of the new game.
FIFPlay FIFA 21 Cover Vote
FIFA community website FIFPlay has already commenced a vote on who should be the FIFA 21 cover star.
FIFPlay Cover Star vote standings
Heung-min Son 32%
Wu Lei 31%
Mohamed Salah 18%
Cristiano Ronaldo 6%
Lionel Messi 6%
RealSport’s FIFA 21 Cover Star predictions
Standard Edition: Kylian Mbappe
Champions Edition: Kevin De Bruyne
Ultimate Edition: Franz Beckenbauer
Beta
Something you may not know is that there is a closed beta for FIFA titles. Players who have racked up the hours on FIFA on certain game modes will get the opportunity to beta test. There are likely to be separate beta testers for each of Career Mode, Ultimate Team, Pro Clubs & Volta Football.
Release Schedule
If we piece together various bits of info, we can decipher when to expect certain bits of information on FIFA 21.
Gameplay
FIFA 20 made significant changes into dribbling and defending, and we can expect more fine-tuning to be performed ahead of FIFA 21 and NextGen to make sure its on-point.
Free-kicks, corners, and penalties have not been as big a hit with fans.
Will EA preserve with the new mechanics or return to a previous form?
We take an in-depth look at what FIFA 21’s Gameplay could look like here.
Career Mode
As we’ve already mentioned, FIFA 20 Career Mode brought some great additions to the offline game mode.
The addition of manager customization created a more immersive experience, whilst the introduction of player conversations and dynamic player and team morale led to improved realism in the FIFA 20 world. These improvements proved that EA has turned its attention towards innovating Career Mode, and so we fully expect the game developers to build on these additions.
As FIFA 21’s release is still some months away, there is currently no confirmed news on what will be coming in the next installment of Career Mode.
What’s more, if you pre-order the Champions or Ultimate Edition, you will receive a Career Mode Homegrown Talent – a local youth prospect with world-class potential.
Career Mode Concept
A new concept was made popular by FIFA Youtuber S2G, who made a video on a fantastic FIFA 21 Career Mode mockup. The ability to customize your kit has to be the most exciting idea of the lot. Taking to the pitch in a new kit every year would certainly keep things fresh.
Career Mode Wishlist
There’s a ton of feedback on Career Mode that fans would like to see a return in the next game. An immensely popular mode of the game, was Player Manager which allowed you to have the career of a Virtual Pro, whilst also being the manager. Want to guarantee that your own created player goes to whichever club you choose – Player Manager does exactly that.
The old Staff Upgrades feature may have not been entirely realistic, but the ability to upgrade your staff was a clear and great way of improving your backroom team. To fitness coach to stadium manager, this could improve your squad and your finances.
You can only control youth staff and scouts at the moment – we want to see more! How loan to permanent deals disappeared from Career Mode is a mystery. Loan deals are just common as permanents in the football world nowadays, with the option to make them permanent common practice.
This does not appear in Career Mode anymore, with prime examples in recent years – Kylian Mbappe to PSG and Mateo Kovacic to Chelsea – returning to their old clubs in the game.
FIFA 21 Ultimate Team
It’s great to see your FUT 21 data will be transferred onto NextGen, but what about the mode itself? Hopefully, this will be the year that EA can change the success rate in Ultimate Team packs. In a normal gold pack, there is only a 7.9% chance of picking up a player rated 82 or higher, which falls to 3.6% for 83+ rated players.
On a similar note, if there was improved matchmaking on Ultimate Team, like for FIFA 20 Online Seasons, where you only come up against a team with a similar rating, it would provide a level playing field. The customization in FIFA 20 Ultimate Team has been fantastic, but this can go further.
Deeper customization of kits, crests, stadiums, balls, and fan chants can keep this going. With a greater processing speed on the new next-gen consoles, perhaps this can be achieved in the not-so-distant future.
EA have made statements in recent weeks regarding their work on the online servers, and of course, there is only so much they can do in this department, they are making progress.
The new consoles will make a difference in this area, so perhaps lag will become a thing of the past.
New FUT 21 ICONS
With over 80 ICONs on FIFA 20, there aren’t many legends of the game EA has to choose from. We have a look at three contenders who could arrive at the next game. Franz Beckenbauer last appeared in the FIFA series back in FIFA 17, and we feel the Kaiser is due for a return.
It’s a similar case for fellow Chelsea man Ashley Cole, who retired last season after a 20-year career that spanned 16 trophies and three continents.
Francesco Totti would be a welcome addition to FIFA Ultimate Team, with the Roma legend one of the most iconic players to wear the number 10 shirt.
The forward spent his entire career with I Giallorossi, winning one Serie A title, two Copa Italias, and two Supercoppa Italiana.
FUT Web App
If you want to get a headstart on FIFA 21 Ultimate Team, you can download the FUT Web App. This allows you access to your Ultimate Team through your mobile phone, allowing you to open packs, adjust your squad, and complete SBCs.
With the Web App updating the day before Early Access becomes available – this is likely to be Wednesday, 17 September. A version of the app is also available on desktop, known as the FUT Companion App.
Pro Clubs
It’s one of FIFA’s timeless game modes, where you can jump in a party with your friends and take on teams from around the world. That being said, there haven’t been too many changes or additions to the mode in recent times. To take the game mode to the next level, EA can introduce several new features to the game. For example, a change to the league structure where there was an achievement beyond Divison 1 would be very welcome.
Yes, getting to Division One is difficult and anyone who gets there would feel a sense of pride about that. But how about adding a more rewarding competition into the mix, a Weekend League-Esque system maybe?
VOLTA Football
Like Ultimate Team, your Volta Football data will be transferred onto Next Gen. On FIFA 20, VOLTA Football allowed you to play from 3v3 to 5v5 on small-sided pitches around the globe, although it came with criticism. It’s understandable that EA didn’t get it 100% right, and you can forgive them to try and bring a realistic feel to the 5-a-side game.
The difficulty is that when it comes to street football – think the classic FIFA Street – fans don’t want realism. An arcade feels with features such as “Gamebreakers” will go down a hit with the community. Will EA rethink this for FIFA 21?
Licenses
The big news last year was that EA lost the rights to Juventus, with rivals Konami and PES 2020 exclusively owning the license for the Italian champions.
The question remains whether more could follow suit this year, with Manchester United and Bayern Munich having relationships with Konami.
Fortunately, league partnerships with the Premier League and the Bundesliga kept them in FIFA 20, but don’t be surprised if clubs from around Europe jump ship.
Clubs from Italy look the most vulnerable, so keep an eye on developments around AC and Inter Milan, as well as title-chasers Napoli and rivals Roma.
Will Juventus be on FIFA 21?
It may be wishful thinking for FIFA fans to see the Old Lady return on FIFA 21.
Konami and Pro Evolution Soccer struck a three-year deal exclusive partnership with Juventus, so it will be a while before we see Juve return on an EA Sports title.
Stadiums
One of the most incredible things about football is the atmosphere of the stadium, and EA has done an amazing job of capturing this so well over the years.
So far Liverpool’s Anfield and PSG’s Parc des Princes have been confirmed in official FIFA 21 screenshots. At fifplay.com, there is an online vote for what stadium fans would like to appear in FIFA 21. The three top stadiums are currently Sukru Saracgolu Stadium (Fenerbahce), Stade Bollaert-Dellis (Lens), and Lerkendal Stadion (Rosenborg).
If promotion to the Premier League from the Championship still goes ahead, any promoted club would see their stadiums recreated on FIFA 21. Leeds United currently top the table so Elland Road on FIFA 21 could become a reality for Whites’ fans.
Any hope for Juventus’ Allianz Stadium, Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena, and Barcelona’s Nou Camp looks slim due to their partnerships with PES and Konami.
Graphics
It’s still early days to confirm exactly what FIFA 21 is going to look like, however, we do have some idea of the direction it is going based on what we’ve seen in FIFA 20. Graphics in FIFA 20 were good, to say the least, and this was no doubt due to the powerful gameplay engine in use – Frostbite 3.
The game engine, created by DICE was originally made for Battlefield and used extensively in first-person shooters. If they end up using the same engine for FIFA 21 also, we should still expect a great looking game.
When it comes to the ‘smoothness’ of gameplay, we could also be in for a treat. Both next-gen consoles claim to be able to run games in 60fps, with the Xbox Series X that it can run at up to 120fps in 8K! If this is the case, we could the animation come alive like never before!
And let’s not forget the amazing potential for detail with some of the biggest names in football! With Next Gen consoles on the way, expect the EA Sports titles to level up their engine. This may not come in time for FIFA 21, but perhaps FIFA 22.
Cross-Platform
One of the barriers EA will have to overcome is the Ultimate Team market place. PS4, Xbox, and PC all have their own market place with wildly different prices for the same card.
A common market place for FUT would help to create a more harmonious community while the expanded player pool could create improvements for competitive and casual players alike.
This looks to be on the cards after the already released Need For Speed Heat, Star Wars: Squadrons, and now Apex Legends have all been confirmed for cross-console.
New features
Before we go into the nitty-gritty, there’s a giant question that needs to be answered – will VAR be implemented in FIFA 21 Career Mode? It wouldn’t be the first time that video technology was seen in FIFA. After all, EA Sports added goal-line technology into their title back in FIFA 15. At the moment, FIFA 20 players are only able to play with and against those on their own hardware.
Whilst this was a significant addition when it was first released, it’s probably safe to say that the addition of VAR would be on a different level completely. There’s no doubt that VAR would create a more realistic football experience, but would FIFA fans really want that sort of stress in the game?
Ratings
As you’d expect there are no confirmed ratings for FIFA 21 yet. However, we can have a pretty good guess at who the top-ranked players will be.
Highest Rated Players
No prizes for guessing who we predict as the number one man on FIFA 21 – it’s got be the footballing phenomenon that is Lionel Messi.
For years, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been battling out for the top spot. It’s fair to say that the two of them have been in a league of their own in the footballing world, but now others are catching up.
As all Premier League fans have been witness to this season, Kevin De Bruyne has been utterly outstanding in his most recent Man City campaign
Ones to Watch
Ones to Watch are players in Ultimate Team who have moved clubs in the transfer window. They receive a special OTW item, that improves to match their latest in-form cards from the Team of the Week.
Hakim Ziyech‘s upcoming move to Chelsea is one of the few transfers confirmed for next summer and looks to be a shoo-in for an OTW item. What other players are likely to join him on FUT 21?
Premier League Prediction
Liverpool hard man Virgil van Dijk deserves to be in that top bracket of players after another faultless campaign.
Sadio Mane has progressed beyond Mohamed Salah this season and is the frontrunner for the Premier League Player of the Season award.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang‘s quality has perhaps been highlighted by the lack of quality in the Arsenal squad and his versatility.
Bundesliga Predictions
Robert Lewandowski (OVR 89 → 90), or the elite marksman, even at the age of 31 (he’ll be 32 this summer), we expect Robert Lewandowski’s OVR to still increase.
Manuel Neuer (OVR 88 → 88) has had some injuries have in recent seasons, but with more appearances this term than in the last four campaigns, he looks to have put those troubles behind him.
Thiago (OVR 87 → 86) is a complete midfielder, Thiago perhaps deserves more credit in the Bayern Munich side.
Wonderkids
A star in the making, the 19-year-old has everything. The Norwegian is tall, fast, strong, and lethal in front of goal. With a potential of 90 on FIFA 20 Career Mode, Haaland is in line to be one of FIFA 21’s future stars.
Speedsters
Regardless of whether you are on Career Mode, Ultimate Team or just taking on your mate, you will want speed in your team on FIFA 21. Possibly the quickest player in the world, Kylian Mbappe is also clinical in front of goal. Although we don’t think Mbappe’s overall rating will change from 89 for FIFA 21, he will still receive improvements to his finishing, passing, and dribbling stats.
Nintendo Switch
The PS4 and Xbox One editions of the football sim will surely get adjustments, and with the Next-Gen consoles scheduled for a winter release, there’s sure to be a big debut on the PS5 and Xbox Series X. But one console which gets left in the dark somewhat when it comes to FIFA is the Nintendo Switch. A breakthrough season in 2019/20 for Erling Braut Haaland saw him sign for Dortmund in January.
It’s something which handheld FIFA players, whether it be PSP, PS Vita or Nintendo Switch, have been crying out for for years, a decent Ultimate Team mode. It’s not a bad game mode by any stretch of the imagination currently but, with PS4 and Xbox One obviously leading the way, the Switch version lacks a niche. Whether its exclusive SBCs, features, or something else – EA needs to cater to this audience.
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