FIFA’s Career Mode has been on the receiving end of plenty of criticism these last few years. In spite of how much time so many people put into the mode with every new instalment, EA Sports have bafflingly failed to make any meaningful improvements to it for a number of years running. It seems, however, that they’re finally making some much-needed changes to the Career Mode in FIFA 21.
In an update detailing the main new features and improvements that FIFA 21 will have, brief details were given on some of the most important changes being made in Career Mode, and they certainly sound interesting.
Interactive Match Sim will allow you to jump in and out of matches that are being simulated at any moment, while you’ll also be able to take control of key moments like penalties and set pieces, on top of being able to monitor match data and make changes accordingly. Meanwhile, a revamped growth system will allow you to retrain your players as you see fit- so, for instance, you can train a full back with attacking potential into a winger, Gareth Bale-style.
A new attribute called “Match Sharpness” is also being added, which will tell you how likely a player is to perform well during key moments of a match. Meanwhile, you can also set up group training sessions to focus on specific areas, which will also improve match sharpness.
Training is seeing some other changes being made as well, with a new activity management system letting you decide when your squad will train and when they should be given a break, which is something that will affect fitness, sharpness, and morale. Opposition AI is also being improved, and the new system will “create more informed AI decision-making in marking, tackling, passing and dribbling to present you with more challenges during each match and keep your Career fresh from game to game”.
New ways to operate in the transfer market are also being added in, such as Loan to Buy offers. Finally, the Career Mode will now also have additional initial set-up options that will affect transfer signings and negotiations. For instance, you can avail a boosted transfer budget thanks to financial takeovers.
They certainly sound like interesting changes, even though some of them (specifically the ones pertaining to training) sound like improvements upon things that are already technically in the Career Mode. It’s also worth mentioning that it’s easy to make new features sound like a bigger deal on paper than they really are- FIFA does it every year. The real test will be making these changes actually count for something.
FIFA 21 is out on October 29 for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch, and will also be coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X later in the year.