EA has announced the release date for the current-gen versions of FIFA 21, as well as promised a free upgrade to next-generation consoles.
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Despite there being no messaging about FIFA 21 in the EA Play stream, the game’s website has been updated with a range of new information. Chief among this is the announcement that FIFA 21 will release on October 9 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC via Origin and Steam. No release date was announced for next-gen consoles, presumably due to the fact there is no official release date for those machines yet. Official dates for next-gen FIFA 21 will be announced later this year.
Depending on the version bought, players can access FIFA 21 earlier than the release date. FIFA 21 Ultimate Edition or Champions Edition allows access from October 6, while EA Access and Origin Access subscribers can get into the Play First trial of the game from October 1.
FIFA 21 will also make use of EA’s Dual Entitlement system, the publisher’s answer to Microsoft’s Smart Delivery on Xbox. Dual Entitlement works on both PlayStation and Xbox platforms, and will provide the next-gen upgraded version of FIFA 21 at no extra cost should you buy a PS5 or Xbox Seires X. This applies to both digital and physical purchases, although EA notes that if you have FIFA 21 in physical on PS4, then you’ll need to buy a PS5 with a disc drive as the disc must be in the drive to play the upgraded version.
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Dual Entitlement also carries over plenty of save data, including all progress and content in Ultimate Team and progression in Volta Football. Progress in online seasons, co-op seasons, career mode, and pro clubs are tied to specific consoles, so will not transfer if you upgrade.
For more EA, check out everything announced at EA Play Live 2020. And if you can’t wait for October, why not check out our review of FIFA 20 from last year?
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Matt Purslow is IGN’s UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter.
Source: IGN.com FIFA 21 Release Date Announced, Will Support Free Next-Gen Upgrade