FIFA 21 is now well under way, with more promos and special cards arriving this week.
Check out below for all the latest news.
Latest News – TOTW 3
Team of the Week (TOTW) 3 arrives tomorrow at 1pm ET / 6pm BST on Wednesday, 14 October, but who will be selected after performing during the international break?
Serbian star Sergej Milinkovic-Savic bagged a brace to drag his side one step closer to the Euros, but who else delivered for their country?
Check out our TOTW 3 prediction here.
Platforms
FIFA 21 comes out too early for the Next Gen consoles, so will initially be released on PS4, Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch.
The game will then become available on PS5 and Xbox Series X from release with Next Gen enhancements, but this will not be a separate version of FIFA 21.
Next Gen
EA first teased Next Gen FIFA 21 alongside Madden 21 at way back at EA Play Live:
Dual Entitlement
Good news! You won’t need to buy FIFA 21 twice thanks to “Dual Entitlement”.
More good news is that Ultimate Team and VOLTA progress will carry over onto Next Gen! However, the same cannot be said of Career Mode!
Although the Next Gen version are not a separate edition of the game, you will receive enhancements for PS5 and Xbox Series X.
Gameplay
- Rapid load times – get to kick-off in seconds
- Controller haptics (PS5 only) – feel every shot, kick, pass, and tackle in your hands
Graphics and Visuals
- Deferred Lighting and Rendering – a new lighting system creates more detail in every part of the stadium
- Re-imagined player bodies – next-gen technology takes players to a whole new level of realism
Player Animations
- Enhanced animation technology – new animations create ultra-responsive and realistic player movement
- Off-ball humanisation – from adjusting shin pads to screaming for passes, feel all the emotion of football at the highest level
Next Level Atmospheres
- Gameday immersion – contextual player, bench, and fan reactions let you feel the explosive passion of a last-minute winner
PS5
The PS5 release is staggered. Th highly anticipated Sony console will become available on Thursday, 12 November for US, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and Thursday, 19 November for the rest of the world.
PlayStation 5 will have its own bespoke feature ahead of Xbox Series X.
With the PS5 controller featuring, haptic feedback this will be utilised in FIFA 21.
Haptic feedback is the new rumble tech in the controller, which will really turn on the heat for a penalty, or sense the pressure from a challenging defender.
Xbox Series X
Microsoft has officially revealed the prices for their Next Gen consoles, with the Xbox Series S coming in at $299, while the Xbox Series X costs £499.
PRE-ORDER YOUR XBOX SERIES X HERE.
The new consoles will arrive on Tuesday, 10 November, with pre-orders opening from Tuesday, 22 September.
Furthermore, it’s been revealed that you can get EA Play with the Xbox Game Pass at no extra cost!
PRE-ORDER YOUR XBOX SERIES S HERE.
It looks as if there will be no exlusives to Xbox Series X despite EA Sports game receiving the “Optimized for Series X” tag from Microsoft.
The above trailer showcases some of the games leading the way for Series X, and the visuals we can expect.
Cover Star & Editions
All three Editions of FIFA 21 feature the same “cover star”, Kylian Mbappe.
EA’s new aesthetic has gone down well, and you can view every Edition in detail, by heading over to our pre-order guide, here.
Standard Edition
The Standard Edition costs £49.99 / $59.99 (£54.99 / $59.99 on PC).
Ordering the Standard Edition will entitle you to bonuses in FIFA 21 Ultimate Team:
- 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
Order the Standard Edition here.
Champions Edition
The Champions Edition comes in at £79.99 / $79.99.
For the Champions Edition you’ll get:
- 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
Buy the Champions Editions here.
Ultimate Edition
The Ultimate Edition costs £89.99 / $99.99.
The most expensive edition of FIFA 21 will get you:
- 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
Buy the Ultimate Edition here.
Beta
The FIFA 21 Beta is long gone!
The new Heading mechanic has been the most noticeable aspect, along with the welcome addition of new player star heads.
For our take on the FIFA 21 Beta head here.
Game Modes
Of course the game is now officially live, but what new features can you get stuck into across the variety of game modes?
Career Mode
EA has shown Career Mode a bit more love in recent years, and they look to have continued this trend!
Even with the arrival of Next Gen consoles, EA still looks to have refreshed Career Mode and introduced some great new features.
There’s a lot to take in, so here are the key components:
Interactive Match Sim – when simming matches you can make changes on-the-fly, or “jump-in” and play if you need to rescue a result!
Revamped growth system – players can no acclimatise to different positions to fit your needs.
Match sharpness – it’s not all about resting your players, you may need to rotate in your fringe players to keep them sharp.
Read More
FIFA 21 Xbox Series X: Release Date, News, Pre-Order, Price, Specs, Series S & more
New ways to sign players – at long last, loan-to-buy offers are back, and other teams will present player swap offers.
Pre-order bonus – Move for the Champions or Ultimate Edition, and you will receive a Career Mode Homegrown Talent – a local youth prospect with world-class potential.
Check out our FIFA 21 Chelsea Career Mode Guide here.
Ultimate Team
Now the game is out, the first promo squad on FIFA 21 Ultimate Team has been released too!
The Ones to Watch promo includes some top-class players like Luis Suarez, Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech.
Team 1 is shown above and will be included as part of the Deadline Day promo.
Deadline Day
EA has announced a ‘Deadline Day‘ where players will receive a special pack if they played the game before Friday, 9 October.
Find out more about Deadline Day here.
ICONs
There will be exactly 100 legendary FUT ICONs available in FIFA 21.
Philipp Lahm, Fernando Torres, and Eric Cantona star – but for all the new inclusions head here.
New Features
The all-new FUT Co-Op looks to be the major new addition, allowing you to team up with a friend and compete for rewards in Division Rivals, Squad Battles and grind towards brand new Co-Op Objectives.
FUT Stadiums will allow you to build your fantasy stadium and turn it into the fortress you want it to be with chants, walk-on music and pyrotechnics!
FUT Web App
It’s go-time, the FUT Web App is officially live.
A version of the app is also available on desktop, known as the FUT Companion App.
VOLTA Football
Volta was a great addition last year, but perhaps EA didn’t quite hit the nail on the head with the street mode.
The introduction of Groundbreakers could help the game mode really take off this year, with the likes of Anthony Joshua gracing the pitch.
On 21, we’ll see a huge update which includes Volta Squads – new way to join up to three friends or the community and play online; very similar toPro Clubs.
More customisation options for your squad and avatar will be on offer, with official clubs getting involved this time around.
Featured Battles is for the finest players, matching up against AI-controlled star players as well as squads from the community.
New venues include Sao Paulo’s Downtown, Milan street pitch and a geodesic dome in Dubai.
VOLTA Groundbreakers
No one saw this coming! Real-life celebs such as heavyweight boxing champ Anthony Joshua and DJ Diplo will be appearing in FIFA 21 thanks to Volta.
Titled Groundbreakers, they join Eric Cantona, Thierry Henry, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kaka and Kylian Mbappe, with more celebs and ballers set to join after the game’s release.
The official EA press release reads these players “will all be accessible as -avatars to fans in VOLTA FOOTBALL”- so yes, get ready to move AJ’s 6’6″ 238 lbs frame across the small-sided pitch!
Check out who we want to see added to the game here.
Pro Clubs
One for the elite, customisation grows for Pro Clubs in FIFA 21, but the much coveted cross-platform play is still missing.
For a deep dive into Pro Clubs head here.
Gameplay
How good the new game will be ultimately comes down to its gameplay.
The ability to “create more scoring opportunities” thanks to all new “dynamic attacking systems” will get players excited.
The new Agile Dribbling system will enable you to explode past defenders, and be more precisie with the ball at your feet.
Positioning Personality improves the importance of positional awareness, with world class forwards holding their runs to stay on-side, playmakers dropping into space and defenders identifying danger.
Creative Runs will allow you to actually control off the ball players – we recommended practising this before taking it online!
Lastly, the new Competitor Mode setting has been inspired by the best FIFA players in the world, to really make it feel like you’re facing the best.
Cross-Platform
With some EA titles moving to cross-platform, there was some hope that the same would be said of FIFA 21 and the other sporting titles.
Star Wars: Squadrons has been announced for cross-play, as well as recent update on the already released Need For Speed Heat – but alas, FIFA 21 will not receive the same treatment.
That said, EA titles are now available on Steam, which could be an early suggestion of cross-platorm play in the future – especially with Next Gen on the horizon.
Graphics
Don’t expect any graphics improvements for FIFA 21 on current gen, but as we get closer to Next Gen, don’t be surprised if we see a full reveal for PS5 and Xbox Series X capabilities.
EA has been tight-lipped since the “Feel Next Level” reveal alongside Madden 21 at EA Play live – so you’d think there is more to come.
Licences
After losing the rights to Juventus, with rivals Konami and PES 2020 last year, there was a fear that EA could lose another big licence this year.
Well, AS Roma will be referred to Roma FC on FIFA 21, with the I Giallrossi now signing an exclusive deal with PES 2021.
Fortunately for the FIFA community, Konami has lost the licence to both AC and Inter Milan. Both Milan clubs are now exclusive to FIFA 21.
Stadiums
EA has announced that there will be 95 official stadiums on FIFA 21.
This includes five new ones, with the arrival of a sixth pending.
Unfortunately for Leeds fans, Elland Road is the sixth that is not quite ready for the new game.
Ratings
The official ratings for FIFA 21 have been revealed, and there are a few surprises!
Highest Rated Players
No prizes for guessing who is the number one rated player on FIFA 21 – footballing phenomenon that is Lionel Messi.
Messi edges out Cristiano Ronaldo, with both players receiving a one-point drop – is this the last year they lead the ratings?
Ones to Watch
Ones to Watch are players in Ultimate Team who have moved clubs in the transfer window.
Timo Werner and fellow Chelsea new signing Hakim Ziyech were the first two confirmed Ones to Watch players – including their ratings.
Check out all the confirmed and predicted Ones to Watch here.
Wonderkids
Wonderkids will be a crucial part of FIFA 21 Career Mode, and perhaps the must-have signing will be Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland.
Check out all the wonderkids we’re tipping for big Career Mode moves here.
Nintendo Switch
The good news is that Nintendo Switch owners don’t have to completely miss out on FIFA 21, as FIFA 21 Legacy Edition will be coming to Switch.
This version will have updated menus, audio, players and kits, but not feature any of the new gameplay innovations, that are on other consoles.
