We were allowed to test the new Career Mode in FIFA 21. It makes a decent step towards a full-time manager, says MeinMMO author Max Handwerk – and almost forgets about playing.
This was the test: In the past few days, I was able to have some fun in the Career Mode of FIFA 21. However, there was only access to the English teams, and the squads did not yet reflect the current FIFA 21 ratings, but still looked very much like FIFA 20.
Overall, this version was a beta build that does not yet correspond to the final product. Everything I saw can still change by the release of FIFA 21. However, the new features, such as match simulation or detailed talent development, were already in place. They should provide more control in Career Mode. And one can rightly claim: they do.
Transfers should be realistic – How does it look?
This is how you start in Career Mode: First, the Career Mode starts as usual – aside from the new designs. You piece together your manager, choose one of the teams, and start. Then invitations to preparatory tournaments and the objectives from the club management flutter into your inbox. More or less, it’s all the same as usual. Also, you are kindly welcomed by the team captain via text message. Depending on your mood, you can respond in a friendly or stern manner, looking towards success.
But time as a manager is short, so it goes straight into the transfer window. And because I ultimately want to be a champion, I’ve chosen the best player in FIFA 21 as a transfer target: Lionel Messi.
He is still a fantastic footballer, but he has also aged a bit and has only 12 months left on his contract with Barca. Also, the real Messi doesn’t seem too happy at Barcelona anymore.
Since EA Sports promised improved realism in the career, something should be doable. I tried out a total of three teams in the career – and here’s how the Messi transfers looked:
- With Manchester City, I easily slapped down 90 million, which Barca graciously accepted. Messi then demanded 480,000 pounds in salary and a signing bonus of 100,000. No problem – welcome to the team!
- With Liverpool, it was already tougher. They only have 77 million in budget, and Barca suddenly wants 98 million for Messi. They also wouldn’t accept Firmino or Origi in exchange, but at 50 million and Mohamed Salah, they weakened. Messi then signed for a salary of 330,000 and a small bonus of one million. Works!
- With Crystal Palace, there was simply nothing to be done. Even if you offered the entire transfer budget and the best players to buy Messi, the Barca representative left the negotiation angrily. Here, one probably has to look at lower shelves if one wants to make use of the transfer market.
We see: Depending on the club, the demands vary and make it differently hard to build a good team. With Manchester City, Career Mode feels like you’ve accumulated unlimited FIFA points in Ultimate Team and can afford any player.
With Crystal Palace, you have to pay close attention to the strongest talents possible to put together a good team. And this is where player development comes into play.
The new player development is a gain
This is how the new development works: As usual, you can use specific training exercises in the FIFA 21 Career Mode to improve your players’ stats. So far, so known. But new is the level of detail of this development. You can create detailed training plans for players and change their player types.
- Do you need a real powerhouse in the center? Here’s a training plan that focuses on physicality.
- Your player is getting older and slower? Then here’s a training plan that focuses on attributes like vision, positioning, and passing – and you can use your veteran for even longer at the club.
How effective it is, is also in your hands. If you play training sessions yourself, it is very likely that you will achieve better results than a pure simulation. In addition, your players gain more “aggressiveness” – a new attribute that influences their performance in the game.
For comparison:
- In a training simulation, you get 2 points for aggressiveness
- In a good training session that you played yourself, you get 6 points
This is how the position change works: Not only can you change the player type, but also the position of a player. I tried this with Palace defender Riedewald. If you set the center back to develop into a right back, he will then make sure that his speed attributes increase – which are worryingly low in the 60s range.
On the wing, he is not really suited.
As a defensive midfielder, however, he could be quite useful, which is why we are aiming for this position. How long this takes is also an indicator of how well the development fits: Don’t expect to quickly turn a center back into a striker if the attributes don’t match. For example, Riedewald has shooting attributes that are all between 40 and 50. The time and effort is simply wasted if he already has good defensive attributes.
For comparison: For Riedewald, it takes
- 167 weeks until he becomes a striker
- 29 weeks to bring him to central midfielder
- 2 weeks until he fits as a defensive midfielder
It’s quite clear which position fits and which doesn’t. In these little games, you can really lose yourself, I noticed – and took forever before I finally went into my first match. And there, the probably biggest innovation came into play.
The simulation changes the relationship to the game
This is why the simulation is so important: The new simulation in FIFA 21 is a feature that noticeably changes the Career Mode. It is now possible to view a match on the simulation screen. There you can see the plays, the runs, the goals – everything. Just as a radar. You can intervene in the team management and change the alignment. And: You can jump into the game.
If you notice that the team is not performing as you’d like, you can jump in. Then you play a few plays, try to dominate the opponent, and ideally score the goals that didn’t happen in the simulation. The kicker: If that works, you simply go back into the simulation. And from there back into the game – or not. Depending on how it goes. Even at the end of the game, you can jump straight in.
Especially at the beginning, when watching the first simulation, it’s almost hypnotic.
You see how your team is performing and even get ideas for new runs when you play yourself. You feel like the coach looking from the outside – just that you can jump in if necessary. It’s a lot of fun.
When you also see how the intricately developed players do exactly what you envisioned for them – then you are a happy manager.
What is the problem now? Overall, all changes to the Career Mode are a great thing – if you appreciate the management aspect of the mode. You feel like a scout, coach, and manager all at once. Especially if you also take over calendar planning.
However, I’ve found that these changes towards a management game have changed my relationship to the career. In previous installments, I played out every single game to achieve the greatest success. That is no longer necessary.
The Career Mode offers so many automation options that, if you fulfill the manager part well, it will likely lead you to the top. Or at least to achieving the season objectives.
Of course, you can still play out every match. But the simulation is too tempting – and especially with Manchester City, you don’t have to worry that much will go wrong. With the Citizens, I simulated half a season in between. I missed a few emails, such as national team offers for teams from Wales, Peru, and New Zealand – but my team was still at the top of the table.
With Crystal Palace, of course, it looks different. But here too, you manage well if you choose the simulation and only intervene in emergencies.
A clear point of criticism for the Career Mode in FIFA 21 is that the relationship to the players still feels very much like copy-paste. In all three career modes, players have contacted me via email, but the texts remain largely the same. The personal connection to the team is therefore somewhat lacking.
Conclusion: The new career feels quite different from before. Even if many elements remain the same. But the new features development and simulation ensure that you truly immerse yourself in the numbers and data of the mode.
The actual playing on the pitch, however, takes a bit of a back seat – at least for me.
It’s quite possible that the career is now definitely the “football manager” part of FIFA 21 for me, and gameplay only comes into play occasionally. But there are definitely other modes, like Ultimate Team. You can find all FUT innovations here in the overview.
