FIFA 21 is seemingly making major additions to its Career mode, following years of criticism about a lack of meaningful changes.
Announced on the FIFA 21 website, EA Sports has highlighted 8 key changes and additions to the long-static mode, most of which seem to add more emphasis to the management side of the game.
- Interactive Match Sim – The biggest change mentioned so far, this looks to be a stripped back management experience in the vein of Football Manager. You’ll be able to jump in and out of matches – to take penalties or free kicks, for example – while using the management view to make tactical changes as the game progresses.
- Revamped Growth System – On a more micro level, this will let you take a more active view of your players’ development in training, and allow you to train players in new positions, for instance pushing a right back into a right winger.
- Match Sharpness – This is an entirely new attribute that controls how well your players will perform in “crucial moments” – presumably, alongside fitness levels, this could result in a higher need for squad rotation.
- Active Training – Tied into Match Sharpness, you’ll be able to organise group training sessions that improve players’ sharpness, including finishing or tackling training.
- Activity Management – Another Football Manager-like addition, this allows you to manage how much training and how much rest your team will get between matches, balancing Match Sharpness with morale and fitness.
- Enhanced Opposition AI – EA Sports says your computer-controller opponents will now act more intelligently when attacking and defending, and make more “informed” decisions, in order to keep the game fresh.
- New Ways to Sign Players – Career will now offer Loan-to-Buy deals with optional or mandatory future transfer fees, as well as player swap proposals.
- Set-up Options – Before starting your Career, you’ll be able to set elements that make the experience more or less realistic, including ‘Authentic Transfers’ (no specifics on that as yet), or getting a cash injection through a Financial Takeover.
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EA Sports says a full reveal will be coming next month, but it’s an encouraging sign for those who’ve wanted updates to the game’s single-player elements.
FIFA 21 will be released on October 9 on PS4, Xbox One and PC, and will arrive as a next-gen game later this year – with a free upgrade for those who bought current-gen editions. As you might expect, there are multiple pre-order options – here’s our full FIFA 21 pre-order guide.
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Source: IGN.com FIFA 21 Is Finally Making Career Mode Changes