The Volta mode was introduced as the most important new feature for FIFA 20. Much of the marketing showed the street mode and presented it as the next big thing. But how well did the experiment work?
This is Volta: Volta brings football back to the streets – this is the best way to summarize the intention of the mode. In small teams, you can play a round of street football or futsal. The twist: It’s more skillful than a regular FIFA match. Skills take center stage – a bit like in the earlier FIFA Street titles.
However, Volta appeared a bit more grounded than the old street titles did. The gameplay is more realistic and feels a bit like FIFA 20 on a small field – with a few more tricks. The question that arises, however, is: Did fans of the game actually want such a mode?
How is Volta doing 3 months after release?
This is what players wished for: First, it should be noted that a street mode has been long on the wish list of FIFA players. The original street series was popular, and many hoped that the old gameplay mechanics would find their way back into a main FIFA title. In that respect, Volta certainly satisfies a wish that players had.
When the first material for Volta surfaced, the excitement was also great. The new mode looked neat – and it seemed like there was also a sophisticated online system. Hope arose that Volta could be played similarly to Pro Clubs. This means: Many players wished to form a club with friends and then climb the Volta leaderboard together. However, this feature is not provided by Volta – and perhaps that’s why it’s only treated marginally by players.
This is what Volta lacks: Not only is the desired Pro Clubs component and thus some kind of co-op mode missing, but you also cannot play online against friends. In the league online mode, you only play against strangers, and otherwise, Volta only offers offline modes. A missed opportunity – instead of playing fun Volta matches with friends online, you are left on your own.
This is how Volta is received: It seems that Volta has not been an important factor in FIFA 20 so far. On Reddit, the topic is treated rather negatively. Already in November, a post appeared that said: “I am here to tell you that Volta is officially dead after two months” – it comes from the user Pimbroo, who could no longer find opponents online. Besides some jokes, the comments contain critical points that lament the lack of multiplayer components.
And even the story mode could not really make Volta interesting. This can be seen in the PlayStation trophies: In FIFA 20, there is a trophy called “End of the Road” that you receive for completing the Volta story. Only 4.3% of players have achieved this so far.
In addition, there is the “Collector” trophy, which you receive for collecting 5 legends in Volta. Only 2.6% of players have unlocked this. Whether Volta is really officially dead is difficult to assess. One thing is for sure: the mode does not play an important role for the majority of the player base.
Where can Volta shine? Anyone who has observed the release phase of FIFA 20 has noticed that anticipation for Volta was high. Therefore, it seems like a lot of missed potential that the multiplayer component is missing.
Anyone who has played a round of Volta on the couch with friends – because that is possible – will have noticed: Playing together makes the mode fun. If FIFA 20 could manage to transfer that fun feeling into the online mode, Volta might just have another chance.
Besides Volta, there are also a few other features that FIFA 20 could improve in the next year:
