With FIFA 21, perhaps the hottest game of the year is about to start. We have already spent a few hours on the virtual soccer field for our test and are telling you the 5 most important improvements that we have noticed so far: FIFA 21 vs FIFA 20.

At least since the start of EA Play on October 1st, FIFA 21 has been on everyone’s lips. For the latest offshoot of the long-lived sports game series , the developers have once again worked hard on the gameplay to ensure an even better gaming experience. Is FIFA 21 really better than FIFA 20 ? Here are our top 5 takeaways from the first few hours.

1. Headers & crosses are strong again

Honestly, I’ve put hundreds of hours into FIFA 20. I let off steam in VOLTA mode, completed my career and sweated it out in the FIFA Ultimate Team Weekend League. Anyone who has played FIFA 20 will remember that crosses and headers played absolutely no role .

I think I can count on one hand the number of headed goals I’ve scored with Lewandowski, Aguero, van Dijk and Co. Or maybe two hands? Anyway.

In fact, the FIFA 21 gameplay has changed fundamentally , exactly as it appeared after the first details about the game. Headers and crosses are finally back and they’re extremely strong. I’ve now played almost 30 games in FIFA 21 – around half of the goals I scored came from headers from crosses .

And I’m really happy about that, because I’ve always been someone who liked to play the wings. Impossible in FIFA 20, absolute power in FIFA 21. Nevertheless, headers are by no means overpowered: timing and angle are just as important as an attacker with a strong header.

Let’s hope EA Sports doesn’t nerf headballs again with upcoming updates. In any case, the attacking game in FIFA 21 is significantly more varied than in the previous year.

2. Meta change? Yep!

Point 2 actually results directly from the more dangerous headers. In order for the strikers to be able to free themselves up better (or not from the point of view of the defenders), the physique value is – as suspected – actually given a higher priority .

Sure: The tempo still dominates on the wings, but the physique of the strikers and central defenders. The result? A beefy IV like Niklas Süle from FC Bayern currently makes a stronger first impression than a Dayot Upamecano .

However, the FIFA community has not yet understood this, the best players from FIFA 20 are currently being traded even higher on the transfer market – if you are quick, you can secure some strong bargains.

3. The agile dribbling convinces

New to FIFA 21 is Agile Dribbling . If you keep R1 or RB pressed, this time you can guide the ball even more precisely and narrowly and thus pass opponents. How agile a player is depends on their dribbling stats – the difference on the pitch is huge.

4. AI teammates behave smarter

Another FIFA 21 gameplay innovation are the Creative Runs , thanks to which AI teammates should behave smarter and better advance into free spaces on offense . This works excellently in practice and we like it much better than in FIFA 20.

Players can still be sent on their way by pressing L1 or LB , which works the same as last year. However, if you now also use the right analog stick and specify the running direction of the other player, the running paths of up to 5 other players can be specified at the same time.

5. The stadium expansion in FUT motivates

We wouldn’t have thought it possible ourselves, but expanding your own stadium – a new feature in FIFA 21 Ultimate Team – is actually extremely motivating. Not only the pure play, but also the feeling in the game.

When the fans sing our chosen song, a fountain celebrates our triumph at the goal and our goal music comes out of the speakers, it just feels great. FIFA 21 Ultimate Team has become even more motivating , also due to the additional tasks and goals , which, like certain actions, repeatedly unlock new customization options.

FIFA 21: The first impression is positive

After the first 30 or so games with FIFA 21, our first impression is pretty positive . The gameplay innovations like Agile Dribbling and Creative Runs are convincing – FIFA 21 is a completely different game than FIFA 20 and that’s a good thing!

Passes into open space are more important as teammates move smarter. At the same time, however, the defensive has become much more skill-heavy : Central defenders want to be actively moved with L2+R2 or LT+RT, otherwise they look pretty stupid.

The connection quality has also left a good impression so far – but of course relatively few players were still playing FIFA 21. It will be exciting to see how it looks after the release and whether EA Sports isn’t changing the gameplay with patches after all.

FIFA 22 – FUTs

What could be cooler than just relaxed gaming and doing some sofa sports on the side? In FIFA 22, the player is on the move fast, but without getting sore muscles. With the Ultimate Team Event cards, the collecting instinct is now also satisfied. However, the FUT Heroes keep creeping into my mind, so here are the best Ultimate Team Event cards that are definitely worth adding to your collection.

Heroes cards selected by EA for top qualities

Admittedly, the FUT heroes will cost quite a bit of coin, but it turns out that EA has once again brought some top-class players into the game when it comes to selection. As a collector and hunter, it’s an added attraction for FIFA gamers to now include their own favorite heroes in the portfolio and benefit from their individual skills. Both in the game and in team building, the FUTs will revolutionize the game once again.

EA SPORTS FC: FIFA GAME SERIES TO BE CONTINUED UNDER NEW NAME

Of course, the soccer simulation game series will not be discontinued completely. After FIFA 23, EA will relaunch the game under the name EA Sports FC and market it independently. Old FIFA hares should now become quite an ear, after all, the EA Sports Football Club used to be a part of the actual game for years. A lot of playing was rewarded, points could be collected and items, boosts or balls for the individual game modes could be unlocked.

In this context, there could also be a complete revolution of the classic game. There is a heated discussion in the FIFA community about whether the game, which is expected to be released in the fall of 2023, will be free-to-play. This option is said to be on the table for the game makers from EA, because: It seems that EA earns most of its money with the purchases of FIFA Points in the game mode Ultimate Team and not with the sale of the game itself.

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