FIFA 21 Career Mode: Changes to transfers, visual sim, training & more

Joe Craven
Mourinho on FIFA 21 Background

EA SPORTS have finally revealed a host of new FIFA 21 details for Career Mode, giving fans a lot to look forward to, as well as many in-game changes to keep players interested. 

Below we are going to run through each of these sections and you can jump to whichever you like by clicking the links in the contents section. More details are expected to drop in August, so we’ll constantly update this with fresh info as and when it’s made available.

Contents

FIFA 21 reveal trailer

July 23 gave avid FIFA fans there first official news regarding FIFA 21’s Career Mode, which launched alongside the game’s highly anticipated reveal trailer. This video shed light on the game’s new FUT Ambassadors, as well as a look at some of the new gameplay FIFA 21 will debut.

FIFA 20’s VOLTA mode also features heavily, with hints at squad modes being shown. As you’d expect, cover star Kylian Mbappe dominated the trailer, as well as a few hints at Career Mode.

FIFA 21 Career Mode: ‘Manage Every Moment’

The slogan for FIFA 21’s Career Mode appears to suggest that the emphasis has been on getting the basics right, as well as adding new features to shake up the established formula. A large portion of the community lamented the lack of innovation in FIFA 20’s Career Mode.

With that being said, EA have placed emphasis on “new additions”, that will “create additional depth in matches, transfers, and training to give you more control over your team’s rise to the top.”

FIFA 21 Career Mode Transfers and Contract changes

First up, devs have promised players with “enhanced realism” when it comes to sorting transfers, from both a user and AI standpoint.

They say: “Make Loan to Buy offers with optional or mandatory future transfer fees to secure new talent for your team, and respond to AI manager-initiated player swap proposals as you look to master the transfer market.”

FIFA 20 Career Mode Screenshot
FIFA 21 players have been calling for some big work to go into Career Mode this year.

This comes alongside the possibility of financial takeovers, and initial set-up options. The latter will see starting parameters set for players differently, depending on how they choose to play. It sounds like realism has been the aim of EA, and that goes across the board in FIFA 21’s Career Mode.

Interactive Match Sim returning in FIFA 21

This is one that will be familiar to all the Football Manager fans amongst us. The interactive match sim gives players a unique look at the game they’re managing, with options to change tactics, quick sim or jump into the game and salvage the result.

Interactive Match Sim screenshot from FIFA 21
The interactive match sim will come be in FIFA 21.

“Take charge of key moments including penalties and free kicks to change the outcome of the match,” EA said. “Monitor match data and make changes directly from the sim based on the match stats and your players’ performance levels and stamina.”

FIFA 21 Career Mode Revamped Growth system

EA have also promised greater control over how your younger players develop. If you want to change your club’s style to fit no full-backs, then change your existing full-backs into wingers and shape your club’s philosophy in its entirety.

You can also more clearly “monitor player attribute changes during training to see how your squad is progressing.”

FIFA 21 Career Mode Match Sharpness system

This is another that appears to have been borrowed from Football Manager. Match Sharpness will be a brand new indicator of “how likely your players are to perform in the most crucial moments during the course of a game.” How much this will actually impact your games remains to be seen, but keep your eyes on it when FIFA 21 drops.

Kylian Mbappe in FIFA Ultimate Team
Young players like Kylian Mbappe can be uniquely shaped in FIFA 21.

FIFA 21 Training Activity changes in Career Mode

EA have also promised a number of changes to training when it comes to Career Mode. The aforementioned Match Sharpness will be affected by a new “Active Training System that gives you the ability to set up group training sessions to improve the likelihood of your strikers putting big chances away or of defenders making key tackles.”

Further to this, you will be able to take greater control of your players’ schedules with the new “activity management system”. EA state that players will be able to “decide when to train and when to rest during the week as you balance your players’ sharpness with morale and fitness to make the difference between winning and losing.”

FIFA 21 Career Mode AI improvements

AI has long been a talking point surrounding FIFA, with fans still experiencing goalkeepers bizarrely letting balls roll past them., However, EA are promising “enhanced opposition AI” coming to FIFA 21.

This will see “opponents approach games with more intelligence in both defence and attack. New systems 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.”

EA has promised a hefty overhaul of attacking and defending systems in FIFA 21.
Players can’t wait to jump into FIFA 21, especially those that are fans of Career Mode.

FIFA 21 Career Mode a “main focus” for developers

According to @FifaGamersBlog on Twitter, Nick Wlodyka, VP of EA explained that FIFA 21’s Career Mode was “very important” to developers this year.

“We’ve really made the biggest investments we’ve ever made to make sure we’re delivering exactly what our players are asking for,” Wlodyka explained. “We’ve had so much feedback over the past few years from our players wanting to see more things they can control in career mode.”

“We listened to what they want to be able to do, things they haven’t been able to do in the past,” he ended by saying, which could finally leave the door open for online Career Modes, a feature that players have been requesting for years.


That rounds off all the details EA have revealed about FIFA 21’s upcoming Career Mode. As previously stated, there will be more details coming in August, so stay tuned to Dexerto and follow us on Twitter @UltimateTeamUK for all the latest news and details.

About The Author

Joe is a former writer for Dexerto, who focused on Call of Duty, FIFA, Apex Legends and Rainbow Six Siege.