FIFA 21 is not releasing a demo this year. A move that was not expected – and now raises skepticism among players.
This is what happened: As EA Sports announced via Twitter, there will be no demo for FIFA 21 this year. Instead, they plan to use the development team’s time to deliver the “best possible gaming experience on Current & Next Gen consoles.”
Why this is unusual: Normally, a demo is always released for the new FIFA title. This gives players the opportunity to get a final impression of the game. MeinMMO author Julian Schröder had also thought about what he wants to see in the demo.
That the demo is not happening this year means that many players will miss out on an initial impression.
– The Career mode of FIFA 21 in the test
– Changes in FIFA 21 gameplay that will be really strong
Players react skeptically to the news about the FIFA 21 demo
This is what the players are saying: Many players react uncertainly to the announcement that the demo is canceled. Among others, in the FIFA subreddit, many reactions vary from surprised to critical:
- “That seems damn suspicious,” thinks user demianin (via reddit)
- “They probably don’t want people to cancel their pre-order because of a demo with bad gameplay,” speculates user jnicholl (via reddit).
- “The FIFA 21 demo has been out for 11 months, it’s called FIFA 20,” comments user neszkwik89 (via reddit).
- Some even jokingly compare EA’s behavior to the “Impostor” from the indie hit “Among Us” – suspicious indeed (via reddit).
At the same time, some players also emphasize that the demo often feels different from the finished game: “The demo is never like the game, so it’s fine with me,” thinks user SpringKFCgravy (via reddit). It is also noted that the game changes over time due to patches anyway – FIFA 20 was a prime example.
Can you play FIFA earlier anyway? To play FIFA 21 earlier, players can still rely on the trial version as part of EA Play. It is conceivable that the 10-hour test version will now gain more popularity starting October 1, where the demo as a test object falls away. There is also the expected early access for EA Play Pro members (only via Origin).
The special editions of FIFA 21 also provide early access to the game – but these must be pre-ordered at full price.
