Let’s take a look at some of the better Synergies that you should get your hands on. When looking for certain cards, keep the player’s position in mind. Depending on the Synergy in question, you’ll want something that can benefit the position that they play. You don’t want to pick up a frontline-focused Synergy on someone that’s playing back, for instance.

• Distributor – Provides +2 Speed, +3 Passing and Puck Control, and +3 Durability. Recommended for frontliners and defenders alike.
• Wingman – Provides +4 Defensive Awareness, +4 Discipline, +2 Acceleration and +4 Passing, which is especially useful when claiming puck control.
• Booming Shot – Provides +3 to Agility, Strength and Body Checking along with +2 Slap Shot Power. Whether it’s a frontliner that can nail some great shots or a strong defender, this Synergy comes highly recommended.
• Thief – Provides +5 to Defensive Awareness, Faceoffs and Stick Checking along with +1 Slap Shot Power. Very good for defenders and players focusing on Stick Checking.
• Apple Sauce – Provides +2 Hand-Eye and Wrist Shot Accuracy along with +4 in Stick Checking and Passing. A great all-rounder that works very well with other Synergies.
• Workhouse – Provides +2 Acceleration, +5 Strength, +2 Puck Control and +3 Endurance. Good for players with a focus on weight.
• Spark – Adds +2 to Acceleration and Deking along with +4 to Body Checking and Strength. Another good all-rounder Synergy that’s perfect for shooters.
• Bombarded – Adds +2 to Slap Shot Accuracy and Slap Shot Power along with +4 to Aggression and Discipline. Recommended for defenders, though it’s not the prime choice.

Changing HUT Synergies

If you’re not a fan of some Synergies or seeking out certain ones, then it’s possible to change a card’s Synergy. However, this can only be done on X-Factor, Power-Up Icon and Master Set Player cards (that too at certain tiers). The majority of cards have fixed Synergies that cannot be changed.

First, select the card in question and press R3/Right Stick. Next, scroll to the Synergy in question and press Square or X. This will bring up a few options to choose from. For more details on HUT Synergies, the best ones to choose and so on, check out the video below by Sleeveless Gaming.

NHL 22 is out on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4 and PS5. Check out our review here for more details.

Along with options like X-Factor Rush and OHL Draft, there’s the ability to play as Mascots in Threes and take on another team of Mascots. HUT Rush modes will keep changing over the course of a season so keep an eye out on the ones that interest you most.

HUT Squad Battles are a great way to take on different squads in an offline fashion and refine your strategies. There’s also Exhibition Game which allows for playing against the CPU, another player or even teaming with a friend to practice. HUT Challenges require completing different goals – like scoring a certain amount of goals or hits, and not receiving any penalties – to earn different rewards. The more objectives cleared, the more stars received, which means more rewards including Coins, Training Camp Collectible Packs and more.

HUT Rivals is essentially your series of qualifying division matches. As you rank up, you’ll earn more rewards and qualify for HUT Champions. Be warned though as you’ll be completing against some of the best players in an attempt to reign supreme.

Like FIFA 22, Coins are earned from playing matches and completing challenges. You can acquire a number of Card Packs by simply playing the game and then flip those Cards in the Auction House for some Coins (assuming the players are tradeable). If you complete a set of Cards, then these can be exchanged for additional Packs (though the Cards in question become unusable so think carefully). NHL Points can also be purchased with real money to purchase Packs and while it’s ultimately up to the player, we’d recommend not spending Coins on any of the more expensive Packs.

Instead, work the Market, find highly rated players that aren’t in the meta and hold on to them for later, and purchase the cheaper Packs with Coins for a chance to flip the more valuable players for Coins. Also pay attention to Auctions and place bids whenever possible.

For more in-depth strategies and tips on HUT, check out SleevelessGaming’s videos below. NHL 22 is currently available for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, and PS5. Check out our review here for more details.

Division Rivals once again sees players competing against the community to earn rewards. Checkpoints allow for staying at the “right level” for one’s skill while win streaks promise faster progression. New stages, ranks and divisions are on hand with the Division resetting with each season’s end. Keep winning matches in a week to increase your rank and earn progress towards seasonal milestones which pay out rewards depending on the amount of matches played.

As for FUT Stadium, it offers even more customization options including improved crowd elements (like Flags and Banners) and a new VIP Area. Item management has also been improved to make it easier to seek out a specific look. Co-op public matchmaking is also being introduced and allows for teaming with other players in duos to compete in a FUT Friendlies Classic Match.

FIFA 22 is out on October 1st for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, PC and Google Stadia along with a Legacy Edition for Switch.

EA Sports’ FIFA 21 will be coming to next-gen consoles next month, sporting improved visuals and fast loading times. The PS5 version gets even more bells and whistles though. As detailed on the PlayStation Blog, it will leverage DualSense in some interesting ways like increasing trigger resistance as players’ stamina is depleted.

FIFA 21 will also utilize the console’s Activity Cards to quickly hop into select modes from the Home screen. The overall load time from the pre-game menu to a Kick-Off match is under two seconds, which is pretty quick. Visually, the game will rely on a new deferred lighting system for more realistic environments.

New cinematics will also be added via Prematch Live and there will be some new Big Goal Moments to enhance the celebrations from goals. FIFA 21 is out on December 4th for Xbox Series X/S and PS5. It’s currently available for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch – check out our review for it here.

Having a higher chemistry for each player in FUT isn’t just for a show. There are special Chemistry Styles, which provide buffs to the entire team – the higher the chemistry, the stronger the buff. You’ll need to do some experimentation to see which styles affect which stat and maximum chemistry is needed to get the full buff. And keep in mind that having zero chemistry for a player will result in some pretty hefty debuffs.

Check out how Chemistry Styles work and the different kinds in the video guide below.

How Division Rivals Work

If you’re looking for a way to make some serious bank in addition to everything else, then Division Rivals is worth checking out. It involves playing 40 matches each week and depending on how well you perform, you’ll receive a Skill Rating. This determines your division, from Division 10 (zero SR) to Division 1 (1,900 SR) with six ranks for each Division.

Division Rivals lasts the entire week, ending on Thursday at 12 AM PDT. At reset, you’ll receive Gold Packs, Coins and much more. It’s also worth noting that going up in rank will provide a Coin bonus as a reward. For a deeper explanation on how everything works and the benefits of participating, check out the video guide below.

FIFA 21 is out and about but despite the changes made to the core game, it’s Ultimate Team mode where most of the interest will be. What makes this year’s FUT different? For that matter, if you’re getting into the franchise for the first time, what should you know before jumping in?

FUT is essentially a mode where players can build their dream team of football players to compete in matches and earn prizes. That’s the gist of it. Building this team means acquiring different player cards, upgrading them, competing in Squad Battles, working the transfer market for getting better players and much more. The mode is a pretty big money-maker for EA due to the RNG nature of card packs but you can also earn them in-game.

First off, think about the kind of team you want to create. It could be a well-rounded squad or simply an all-star line-up of your favorite players. Naturally, work with what’s available and then head into Squad Battles against AI opponents. Keep tuning the difficulty as you play and looking for weak areas on your team. More coins are doled out at higher difficulties so keep that in mind. Once you’re comfortable enough, try taking part in Division Rivals and FUT Champions each week.

Working the market also becomes essential as you acquire more duplicate cards. Cards can be sold quickly for easy coins but you might want to keep track of current trends and hold on to a few to fetch a better price later. Check out our guide for tips on the FUT market here. Of course, you can also acquire players in packs with coins. While spending real money on these or coins is an option, both can be earned by simply completing different squad-building challenges, ranking up and so on. And if you have the coin, it’s better to look for a specific card in the market and purchase it rather than wasting it on card packs (especially with the drop rate that Gold and Premium Packs provide).

A new feature with FUT this year are the community events. The global pool of players chooses a side, like Chelsea or Liverpool, and then plays the game as per normal. Winning matches and performing well will earn XP towards one’s respective team. Earn enough XP to reach a tier and your side will unlock rewards. While not the most efficient way to earn coins and the like, it’s still an easy way to earn rewards.

One aspect you’ll want to keep an eye on is chemistry, which is measured in points. 100 points is the highest score and means that your team is performing at their peak level. Chemistry can be affected if a player isn’t doing well or not being played in their main role. Always keep chemistry in mind – it can often be the difference between winning and losing.

To that end, make sure to use FUT Icons whenever the chance arises despite how expensive they can be. There are 100 Icons overall with newer additions like Eric Cantona, Ashley Cole, Xavi and much more added this year. The biggest benefit to having an Icon in your team, besides their stats, is their easy chemistry. Again, they’re difficult to find and even fetch a good price on the market but well worth the waiting.

For even more details and tips on getting started, check out the extensive guide below by MattHDGamer.

Between all of the complex skills, Ultimate Team strats and management, it’s easy to forget how some of the essentials to shooting goals in FIFA 21. The game offer a variety of different shot types. Of course, there’s more to properly shooting than just knowing the controls. For instance, shots that require an additional button press need to be timed properly to executed a “timed finish”. Not all shots work in every situation so it’s important to understand when to use them.

Check out all the controls for the various shots below:

• Shoot/Volley – Circle/B. This is your regular shot technique.
• Penalty: Finesse Shot – R1+Circle/RB+B
• Penalty: Chip Shot – L1+Circle/LB+B
• Driven Shot – R1+Circle, then press L1/RB+B, then press LB.
• Free Kick: Driven Shot – L1+Circle/LB+B
• Flair Shot – L2+Circle/LT+B. A powerful shot that’s also useful against goalkeepers.
• Free Kick: Curled Shot – Circle/B
• Finesse Shot – R1+Circle/RB+B. More of a nuanced shot, the accuracy on this is high. Positioning and shot placement become more important however.
• Chip Shot – L1+Circle/LB+B. This allows for hitting the ball above any defenders.
• Time Your Shot – Circle+Circle (Timed)/B+B (Timed)
• Fake Shot – Circle, then press X in a direction/B, then press A in a direction
• Low Shot/Downward Header Shot – L1+R1+Circle/LB+RB+B. Good for shooting past a goalkeeper.

How to Work the FUT Market

Ultimate Team Mode boils down to making the best team with the cards you have. And while it’s possible to spend a bomb on Card Packs and let RNG dictate your success, it’s better to try your hand at the market. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be buying required cards and selling any non-essentials without having to spend any real money.

The first thing to keep in mind when dealing with the market is to examine trends. Which player is currently on the up and up? Which card is worth keeping for the long-term? Who are the top leagues and their players (usually Premier League, Ligue 1 and so on)?

It’s worth checking real-world events in that regard. Players who do well in the real world could see their popularity in the market soar. If you happen to have that card when this happens, then selling it within that window could neat a good profit.

Keep an eye on the skill move ratings and pace of different players. Cards with higher pace are generally worth more, even if the stats aren’t too special. It’s also worth “flipping” cards, which means purchasing certain cards that have been disposed through Quick Sell and re-selling them for slightly higher prices. Keep an eye out for higher rated cards when attempting this.

The FIFA Ultimate Team grind never ends and so we’re here again with FIFA 21. With all the work needed to create a strong team, chemistry becomes important. Building up chemistry takes work but you can further supplement it with Loyalty. The most straightforward method is to venture into Squad Battles and face the AI. While it does take some time, setting the difficulty lower will help and provides some Coins in the process.

A quicker way is to start Squad Battles and forfeit right after the game starts. This will add a loss to your record but also provide an extra game played which goes towards one’s Loyalty. It’s a cheesy method but works.

How to Perform All Skill Moves

Skill Moves become necessary when trying to get a leg up on the competition, both figuratively and literally. To that end, here are all of the skills in FIFA 21 and how to perform them.

The game is out on October 9^th for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Switch with Xbox Series X and PS5 releases later so let’s take a look at some of the biggest changes compared to last year’s edition.

Agile Dribbling

Agile dribbling is somewhat similar to the strafe dribble in FIFA 20. You essentially hold down R1 or RB and move with the left stick to execute some very quick touches with the battle. This also enables new moves like the ball roll fake, essentially fooling defenders to move past them. It’s supposed to add more personalization to one’s dribbling, though time will tell if it’s as overwhelmingly advantageous as strafe dribbling was.

Creative Runs

Probably one of the more exciting new features for FIFA 21’s gameplay is being able to actually dictate runs for AI teammates. Hold down L1 or LB while pressing the right stick for a run behind or hold R1 and RB before hitting the right stick to call a teammate short. You can also simply flick the right stick when preparing for a quick pass, indicating the direction that your teammate should go beforehand. Creative Runs allow for up to five players to move at once, which has the potential for some interesting plays. Alternatively, you can press in both sticks to lock on to the current player when attacking.

Natural Collision System

Collisions in sports titles can be wonky, especially in a game like FIFA. The development team has seemingly taken note of this and introduced the Natural Collision System which leads to less falling, less skirmishing and “more natural outcomes” when vying for ball control. Of course, it all looks and sounds nice in theory but we’ll have to see how it actually plays out across all the different collisions in the game.

Removal of Fitness and Training Items

In a move that arrives after years of demands, fitness and training items have been removed in FIFA 21. While fitness still has a gameplay role, depleting during a match, it will now refill with each new match. As for training items, these have been removed due to the vast majority not actually using them. Overall, there’s less bloat in packs but healing items have also been streamlined to heal any injury, reducing the duration of the same depending on their rarity.

Interactive Match Simulation

It’s interesting to compare previous titles to FIFA 21 and see just how many features were missing in Career Mode. Interactive Match Simulation is one such feature. Now, you can actually go into a simulated match as a manager without having to hit the pitch, analyze the different strengths of your team and make changes on the fly. It also doesn’t hurt that simulated matches play out quicker, and allow you to jump in and out as desired.

Growth Development and Player Position Conversation

You can also have more direct control over the development of player growth in Career Mode, honing their skills into specific positions. However, it’s also possible to bring players into altogether different positions thanks to the new Player Position Conversion system. If you’re not particularly happy with how a player has been performing in a certain position or feel they’re better somewhere else at the latter stages of their career, then this should prove useful.

Match Sharpness

Have you ever wanted to know just how explicitly prepared your team is for a match in Career Mode? Match Sharpness is the ticket. If players have higher than average Sharpness, then their attributes will be boosted. Alternatively, if their Sharpness is below average, then they may have weaker attributes. It’s a nice way to see who’s performing or lagging behind and how to fix that.

Active Training and Activity Management

How do you go about actually changing a player’s Sharpness in Career Mode though? With Active Training, which allows one to set up training sessions for improving players, enabling those key goals or tackles when it matters most. You also have Activity Management to decide training and rest periods to balance the overall health of players.

Transfer Options

Some new transfer options have also opened up this year, with Loan to Buy deals now being available. It’s also possible to make these loan deals permanent and you may also find the AI actually making deals for player exchanges while negotiating. Career Mode thus becomes more realistic as you try to stay one step ahead of the AI when procuring top-level players.

Co-op in Ultimate Team

Ultimate Team has always been a huge cash cow for EA with its card packs bringing in boatloads of money. However, it’s perhaps surprising that co-op play is only now being introduced to it in FIFA 21. Modes include Friendlies with house rules; Squad Battles to take on the AI with another player; and Division Rivals to play against other solo or duo team. These go towards different co-op objectives and offer more rewards while also contributing to the Division Rivals ranking and Squad Battles leaderboard.

FUT Stadium Customization

Last year’s game saw the introduction of stadium customization in Ultimate Team but FIFA 21 is going even bigger. There are three options to choose from when deciding on a stadium – the default FUT Stadium with its modern design; the FUT Challengers Stadium with new tifos and pitch trophies; and the FUT Champions Stadium for a more global look, letting you customize just about every little detail. New customization elements also include pyrotechnics, chants, goal music and other celebratory elements, and you can even pick a nickname for your team on commentary.

FUT Events

The community for the FIFA series is pretty big so it’d be nice to have some common goals to work towards. Ask and ye shall receive in FIFA 21 with new FUT Events. There are Team Events where players pick a side and complete different objectives to add to their respective score while Community Events see the entire community working together to complete objectives. In both cases, there will be card packs, coins, players and customization items to unlock.

One Cover Athlete

Unlike FIFA 20, which had three different cover athletes for each different edition, Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappé is the solo cover athlete for FIFA 21‘s Standard, Champions and Ultimate editions. Meanwhile, stars like Carlos Vela, Wu Lei, Trent Alexander-Arnold and so on serve as official ambassadors. It’s an interesting change from last year and offers some consistency across the board.

Current to Next Gen Progression

Along with a current-gen release, FIFA 21 will also be available for Xbox Series X and PS5 later. To that end, progress in Ultimate Team and Volta can be transferred from PS4 to PS5 and Xbox One to Xbox Series X, and vice versa. So you can move FIFA Points, item, coins and so on back and forth between generation. Unfortunately, online seasons, co-op seasons, Career Mode and Pro Clubs progress can’t be transferred, instead remaining on one console.

Volta Returns

Remember Volta, everyone’s “favorite” mode from last year? Well, it’s back and receiving some much needed changes like online co-op support, Featured Battles against custom squads, and a more arcade-like feel to the action. There are also 23 different stadiums to choose from and The Debut, a “free-form narrative experience” with cutscenes, specific squads and unlockable squad-mates and items. You’ll even pick up Legends of Street like Kotaro Tokuda and Lisa Zimouche

FIFA Ultimate Team is the end-game for every player interested in the series. Sure, you may have Volta Mode to cater to those FIFA Street cravings but it’s all about FUT. It’s back again in FIFA 20 and once again, you’ll need to earn Coins, make trades, play matches and pull valuable players. Of course, you’d ideally like to do all this without spending any real money.

For beginners, it can be tough mastering FUT especially in the short-term. Fortunately, there a number of tips for getting by and emerging victorious even with all the changes and new features.

First, get to know the foundation objectives – like using consumables, playing matches, changing the club name and so on – especially since they’ll provide a good chunk of Coins while also teaching the basics.

FIFA Ultimate has two currencies – Coins and FIFA Points. The latter is purchased with real money and can’t be earned in-game. You can buy players with Coins though and build up a decent squad in the process. Players can be purchased in the market or you might get them through packs. Make sure to check the probability of receiving certain ranked players before investing in a pack.

Concerning objectives – there are now seasonal objectives along with daily and weekly objectives. You’ll receive XP for completing them along with other prizes. They’ll provide seasonal progress which can lead to card packs, new ball colours, stadium themes and badges. Think of them as nice bonuses in addition to all the Coins and packs earned.

As discussed in our guide for farming FUT Coins, Squad Building Challenges are very useful. You essentially create different teams of players and send them in for different puzzles. In return, you’ll receive Coins and Rare Cards, though keep in mind that those deployed players are gone. The rewards can be worth it but don’t be so quick to throw away any potentially valuable players. You can also send in a team of Bronze Ranked Players in exchange for two Silver Ranked Players via upgrade challenges. So if you have a team that isn’t all that useful or doesn’t fetch a good price on the market, consider sending them for these challenges.

A good way to earn Coins is to check which players are good for Squad Building Challenges and sell them to players in need. Ensure you partake in the Marquee Matchups as well since you can create squads of players from that week’s matches.

Now we come to Squad Battles which pits your squad against AI opponents. These are teams created by real-world players and the Team of the Week chosen by the developer. Depending on how many points are earn by competing throughout the week, you’ll receive Coins and Card Packs. More points equals higher rewards including 100,000 Coins. Higher difficulties equal more points so set the difficulty accordingly.

Those looking for variety can try out Division Rivals against human opponents or choose new modes in the Friendlies menu. There’s Max Chemistry, where team chemistry is maxed out; Swaps, where three players are randomly chosen and swapped with your opponent; King of the Hill, which is about dribbling inside of a zone to multiply a single goal’s value; and Mystery Ball which changes game modifiers when the ball exits play. These modes alongside Long-Range, Headers and Survival can be played against AI or online. You also don’t have to worry about suspensions or injuries so it’s good for unwinding.

Finally, there’s Draft Mode where you choose a player for each position from a range of top tier players. You take this team into a ladder tournament and can earn different packs depending on the number of wins. For instance, four wins nets you Gold Packs. Getting into Draft Mode requires 15,000 Coins or 300 Points (unless you get a draft token for free entry). If you’re feeling lucky and have an excess of Coins, check it out – the rewards might be worth it, even if you don’t win.