FIFA 21: High Scoring Games Take Centre Stage in EA Sports’ Latest Release

The much-anticipated release of FIFA 21 may have been ever so slightly delayed, however, it appears to have been worth the wait, with the latest installment seemingly having the tendency to produce multiple goal-fests. Chances were at a premium on FIFA 20, with a number of professional players bemoaning the low-scoring nature of the game. Defensive tactics tended to dominate on last year’s release, and this often made it difficult to create opportunities. As a result, FIFA eSports became far less appealing with both viewers and players becoming increasingly frustrated at the lack of in-game excitement at some of the more high-profile tournaments. 

However, EA Sports now appeared to have corrected this issue, with the early signs suggesting that the latest game, which was released on October 6th in the UK, is far zippier and now allows gamers to solely concentrate on their attacking output. Professional players are likely to relish this return to more traditional gameplay, and they will also be delighted to discover that several new tools have been added in order to help players break down stubborn and obstinate defences. 

Although FIFA remains hugely popular with eSports fans, EA Sports will be hoping that the latest tweaks help to increase interest in upcoming tournaments. The recently announced restructuring of the Global Series should allow the franchise to continue building its audience, with an expanded pool of countries now able to compete through the new regionally-divided format. With this year’s FIFA 21 Challenge also seeing a number of online personalities competing alongside a handful of professional footballers, global interest and exposure are expected to be at an all-time high. 

Although FIFA 20 had its merits, its successor appears to offer players a far more complete and all-round gaming experience. Crossing is one area of the game which has been recently overhauled, with wingers now able to put far more zip on their delivery in the latest edition. This adjustment tends to favour powerful strikers, and fans can expect to see a far greater number of headed goals scored at upcoming FIFA eSports tournaments. Players will also benefit from better ball control with EA Sports clearly putting the emphasis on fluidity and creativity in the final third. 

It’s great news for football purists, who will surely relish the latest modifications. Although low-scoring games are part and parcel of the professional game, the general consensus amongst players was that the number of goalless draws and scrappy 1-0 wins was completely unrealistic. As of October 20th, the average number of goals per match in the Premier League is 3.58, with champions Liverpool, who are 9/4 in the latest football betting to defend their title this season, proving to be one of the division’s most entertaining sides to follow with their games featuring an average of 5.20 goals per game. With the top flight producing a number of exciting end-to-end contests this season, fans will be pleased to see that FIFA 21 is now able to follow suit

Other new features include the marquee co-op feature on Ultimate Team which allows players to jump in and out of sessions, and the mass overhaul of player development on career mode. The latter allows users to monitor a player’s well-being and choose whether they should train as a group or as an individual.

You ain’t gonna want to miss this one 🔥

All the 🔝 teams are in this

FIFA 21 Global Series. The best is yet to come 🙌 #FGS21 pic.twitter.com/9HKZd7R0tt

— EA SPORTS FIFA (@EASPORTSFIFA) October 13, 2020

These notable alterations have helped to put the fun back into the FIFA series, and this is great news for both amateur and professional players. EA Sports have worked hard to eliminate the overly-defensive tactics which plagued the previous edition, and that is also likely to help increase interest in upcoming FIFA eSports tournaments such as the Global Series which gets underway in late November.