FIFA 21: Latest News, Countdown, Demo, Download Size, Release Date, Trailers, Next-Gen, Ultimate Team & more

Ernestina Saenz Salcido

4 years ago

FIFA 21 is nearly upon us and the excitement is building!

Check out below everything you need to know about FIFA 21.

Latest News – Countdown, Demo Download Size

Countdown

Keep on top of all the latest from EA and FIFA 21 with our Countdown page!

The new game will be with us shortly, so make sure you don’t miss a thing.

Demo

FIFA 21 is edging closer now the Beta has finished, but we are still waiting on one thing – the demo.

While there is no exact date as of yet for its release, thoughts are also turning to how large the demo will be. Last year, we saw the FIFA 20 demo come in at 7 GB, which is a pretty reasonable size.

Don’t Miss Out: Sale on WD 2 TB HDD game drive for PS4, Xbox One, and PC

With all the new features coming to the game, could we see a new FIFA star rise to prominence? Check out our potential FIFA 21 OP Players here.

FIFA 21 Release Date

We’ve got just one month to go with the full version of FIFA 21 arriving on Friday, 9 September.

Early Access via EA Play

EA Play is the new platform for a exclusive access to the latest EA titles.

Replacing EA Access, signing up the service will get you involved in the EA Play First Trials – starting Thursday, 1 October.

RE-BRAND – EA Access has now become EA Play

This gives you a 10-hour taste of the game before it goes live.

You can get full-access to the game from Tuesday, 6 October by pre-ordering one of the more lucrative editions of FIFA 21 (see below).

Platforms

FIFA 21 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.

FIFA 21 Trailer

Next Gen

In the first tease for Next Gen play, EA teased FIFA 21 alongside Madden 21 at EA Play Live:

Dual Entitlement

If you buy the game on Xbox One or PS4, you won’t need to buy the game on its Next Gen equivalent thanks to “Dual Entitlement”.

FUT and VOLTA progress will carry over onto Next Gen, but annoyingly – the same cannot be said of Career Mode!

CARRY ON: Keep your progress on next-gen

Although the Next Gen version are not a separate edition of the game, you will receive enhancements for PS5 and Xbox Series X.

Gameplay

Blazing fast 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

FIRST LOOK – This was the first screenshot of FIFA 21 on Next Gen!

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

*EXCLUSIVE ALERT* 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.

EXCLUSIVE – You’ll need a PS5 controller to get the full FIFA 21 experience!

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 defendfer.

Xbox Series X

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

With a new aesthetic this year, the FIFA 21 covers are simply stunning, and in a new theme, all three Editions feature the same “cover star”.

Standard Edition

The Standard Edition will cost £59.99 / $64.99 (£54.99 / $59.99 on PC).

POSTER BOY – Mbappe finally makes it to the FIFA 21 cover

Pre-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

Pre-order the Standard Edition here.

Champions Edition

The Champions Edition comes in at £79.99 / $79.99.

Not only do you get three days early access for the Champions Edition, but pre-order and 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

Pre-order the Champions Editions here.

Ultimate Edition

The Ultimate Edition costs £89.99 / $99.99.

You’ll of course get your three days of early access. While a pre-order will get you:

3 days of early access
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

Pre-order the Ultimate Edition here.

Demo

If you are unsure to make a move on FIFA 21, the Demo will give you a strong indication.

Although a release date is yet to be revealed, the Demo has often been dropped silently, around two weeks before the full game release.

UP IN THE AIR – FIFA 21’s new manual heading will be on show in the Demo

So this year we are looking of a Demo release of around Friday, 25 September.

Expect to get access to some kick-off gameplay, with a taste of Volta – but Ultimate Team, Career Mode and Pro Clubs are likely to be off-limits.

For what we want to see in the FIFA 21 Demo – head here.

Beta

Incredibly, the FIFA 21 Beta has already come and 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

With countless trailers, in-depth reveals and the Beta, we now have a fantastic insight on what FIFA 21’s top game modes will offer.

Career Mode

With a pretty big overhaul last year, as well as Nexct Gen consoles on the horizon, you would have forgiven EA for resting on its laurels – but the team has stepped it up once again for FIFA 21!

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.

JUMP IN – Marry speed and success in FIFA 21’s Career Mode

Match sharpness – it’s not all about resting your players, you may need to rotate in your fringe players to keep them sharp.

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.

Ultimate Team

EA always save there best for Ultimate Team, and it looks as if FUT 21 will be no different.

We start with the legendary FUT ICONs, with 100 in FIFA 21.

Petr Cech, Samuel Eto’o, and Xavi star – but for all the new inclusions head here.

GOLDEN GENERATION – Ashley Cole will be a popular left back choice on FUT 21

FUT Co-Op looks to be the big 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

With around amonth to go until release, eyes will be firmly glues on the FUT Web App.

You can access your Ultimate Team through the Companion App on mobile, or head to the official website and start managing your squad.

THUMBS AT THE READY – You can access your Ultimate Team on-the-go

With the Web App updating the day before Early Access becomes available – this is likely to be Wednesday, 31 September.

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.

On 21, we’ll see Volta Squads – new way to join up to three friends or the community and play online; very similar to Pro Clubs.

ELECTRIC – We’re all about the Volta venues

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.

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 a FIFA is 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.

USE THE FORCE – Star Wars: Squadrons was just the second EA game to receive cross-platform play

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.

MORE COME? – Could a full Next Gen reveal still be on the way?

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.

PIED-MONTE – Juventus did not feature on FIFA 20 due to their deal with EA

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

One of the most incredible things about football is the atmosphere of the stadium, and EA has done an amazing job of capturing this so well over the years.

KOP STARS – Anfield is the first confirmed stadium for FIFA 21

So far Liverpool’s Anfield and PSG’s Parc des Princes have been confirmed in official FIFA 21 screenshots.

With Leeds United making thier long-awaited return to the Premier League, the White’s Elland Road will appear in the game for the first time.

Any hope for Juventus’ Allianz Stadium, Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena and Barcelona’s Nou Camp looks slim due to their partnerships with PES and Konami.

Ratings

As you’d expect there are no confirmed ratings for FIFA 21 yet.

However, we can have a pretty good guess at who the top-ranked players will be – and the Top 100 may not be far away.

Highest Rated Players

No prizes for guessing who we predict as the number one man on FIFA 21 – it’s got be the footballing phenomenon that is Lionel Messi.

For a full ratings breakdown, head to our Ratings hub here.

Ones to Watch

Ones to Watch are players in Ultimate Team who have moved clubs in the transfer window.

Only Timo Werner has been confirmed as a Ones to Watch player so far, although his ratings have not yet been revealed.

Find out our Ones to Watch predictions 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.

The post FIFA 21: Latest News, Countdown, Demo, Download Size, Release Date, Trailers, Next-Gen, Ultimate Team & more appeared first on RealSport.

Ernestina Saenz Salcido

Ernestina Saenz Salcido is a reporter for News Lair. She mostly writes on her free time about gadgets and tech news. When she’s not working she takes care of her 2 daughters.