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FIFA 20
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FIFA 20
North American PS4 cover art featuring Real Madrid's Eden Hazard
DevelopersEA Vancouver
EA Romania[1]
PublisherEA Sports
ProducersAaron McHardy
Nicholas Wlodyka
Mat Thomas
Sebastian Enrique
DesignerMatthew Prior
ComposerNafrom
SeriesFIFA
EngineFrostbite 3 (PS4, Xbox One and PC only)
Platforms
Release27 September 2019
GenreSports
ModesSingle-player, multiplayer

FIFA 20 is a football simulation video game published by Electronic Arts as part of the FIFA series.[2] It is the 27th installment in the series and was released on 27 September 2019 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.[3] This is the first game in the main series to not have Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions since FIFA 06: Road to FIFA World Cup and FIFA 08 respectively.

Real Madrid winger Eden Hazard was named the new cover star of the Standard Edition, with Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk on the cover of the Champions Edition.[4] Former Juventus and Real Madrid midfielder Zinedine Zidane was later named as the cover star for the Ultimate Edition.[5]

The game features VOLTA Football for the first time, a new mode that provides a variance on the traditional 11v11 gameplay and focuses on small-sided street and futsal games.[6] The mode shares similarities to the former FIFA Street series.[7]

The online servers for the game were shut down on 6 November 2023.[8][9]

Features

[edit]

Gameplay changes to FIFA 20 focus primarily on a new feature titled VOLTA Football.[10] The mode, which translates to 'return' in Portuguese, focuses on street football rather than the traditional matches associated with the FIFA series, similar to the FIFA Street series.[11] It includes several options to play in three versus three, four versus four and five versus five matches, as well as with professional futsal rules.[12] The mode will incorporate the same engine, but places emphasis on skill and independent play rather than tactical or team play.[13]

Additionally, players have the option to create their custom player by gender, clothing, shoes, hats, accessories and tattoos.[14] Following the completion of the three-part series "The Journey" in FIFA 19, players are now able to follow a similar storyline mode in VOLTA Football, which would be played with the player's own character.[6] Alex Hunter also makes a cameo in the game, along with his agent Beatriz Villanova.

Changes were also made to the traditional 11 versus 11 mode to encourage more one-on-ones and off-the-ball space creation. New penalty and free-kick mechanics were implemented and updates were made to the ball physics.[15]

VOLTA Football includes 17 locations, with each providing a unique experience. In addition to the generic warehouse and parking lot, VOLTA Football features venues based in real-life cities, namely Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Cape Town, Lagos, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, New York City, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Rome and Tokyo.[16]

Commentary is once again provided by Martin Tyler and Alan Smith and alternating with Derek Rae and Lee Dixon for all competitions, with Alan McInally providing in-game score updates and Geoff Shreeves providing pitch-side injury updates.

Each player has his own overall rating, with Lionel Messi having the highest rating in the game with a 94.[17]

Pro clubs

[edit]

Pro clubs is a game mode in FIFA 20 where players can create personalised pros and compete in a squad against other squads online. The objective is to rise up the Divisions, starting in Division 10 and climbing to compete for the Division 1 title.

Ultimate Team

[edit]

Ultimate Team features 88 icon players, including 15 new names. Carlos Alberto, John Barnes, Kenny Dalglish, Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, Garrincha, Pep Guardiola, Kaká, Ronald Koeman, Andrea Pirlo, Ian Rush, Hugo Sánchez, Ian Wright, Gianluca Zambrotta and Zinedine Zidane all feature as icons for the first time.[18][19]

Two new game modes – King of the Hill and Mystery Ball – are also incorporated in Ultimate Team following their previous inclusion in kick-off mode.[20] Mystery Ball gives the attacking side boosts to passing, shooting, dribbling, speed or all attributes, adding unpredictability to every match.[21] King of the Hill sees players fight for possession in a randomly generated zone on the pitch to boost the amount the next goal is worth.[22] Ultimate Team also includes a new dedicated kit supporting Premier League's No Room for Racism campaign.[23]

Career mode

[edit]

Career Mode, following feedback from the community, saw some major updates – mainly to the manager mode.[24] New additions include fully interactive press conferences and player conversations, an improved player morale system which can affect the team or individual players stats, performance levels and stance with the manager. The ability to fully customise the manager's appearance and gender, a new dynamic player potential system, live news screenshots, league oriented UI and new negotiation environments.[25]

VOLTA Football

[edit]

The player, nicknamed "Revvy", successfully tries out for the street football team "J10", named for and led by legendary street footballer, Jason "Jayzinho" Quezada. J10's dream to win the World Championship in Buenos Aires are dashed when Jayzinho suffers an injury that will sideline him for several months. While Revvy and Sydney "Syd" Ko decide to stay on the team, the others players see no chance of winning without Jayzinho and quit. Jayzinho plans to forfeit a tournament in Tokyo organized by fellow legend Kotaro Tokuda. Revvy convinces Jayzhino to have Kotaro find a replacement third player to meet the tournament's three player requirement.

In Tokyo, Kotaro introduces a third player to join Revvy and Syd on the field. To J10's surprise, one of their former teammates, Peter Panna, is playing for an opposing team. After defeating his team to win the tournament, Peter apologies for leaving and is invited back into J10, after which they play an exhibition against Kotaro's team.

J10 travels to Amsterdam to train with legendary player Edward Van Gils, and find former teammate Big T as well. Big T challenges J10 to play and win five consecutive matches, which they accomplish. J10 defeats Big T's team and Revvy asks him to rejoin J10. Afterward, J10 plays against legendary street footballer Rocky Hehakaija's team.

Jayzinho sends J10 to Rio de Janeiro to recruit former member Bobbi Pillay. Bobbi had been training local youths in street football and invites J10 to play against her and her pupils, agreeing to return to J10 if they win. After winning, Vinícius Júnior and legendary street player Issy Hitman play against J10.

Thanks to J10's winning streak and Syd's social media campaigning, Revvy is invited to the prestigious Pro Street Invitational in New York City by Alex Hunter's agent, Beatriz Villanova. Additionally, J10 earn a place in the World Championships.

At the Pro Street Invitational, Revvy learns that Jayzinho was originally going to be invited, but was replaced by Revvy due to his injury. Playing alongside and against several professional footballers, Revvy wins the tournament to great fanfare, but is accused by Jayzinho of undermining his leadership and stealing his glory.

At the World Championship, Revvy discovers that Jayzinho has entered the tournament with a team composed of all the legendary street players they played against. Furthermore, Jayzinho has reclaimed the name J10 for his new team, prompting Revvy to choose a new name for their own team to play under.

As Revvy's team progresses through the tournament, Beatriz offers to represent Revvy and get them on a professional team. This development upsets Syd, as she assumes Revvy will abandon her as their other teammates had. Revvy reveals that before joining J10, they were offered contracts from several professional teams, but the offers were rescinded once Revvy fell into depression following their sister's sudden death. Revvy thanks Syd for helping them overcome their depression by reminding them of her, which Syd appreciates.

Revvy's team beats J10 to become the World Champions. Revvy invites Jayzinho to lift the trophy at the celebration, publicly crediting him for establishing J10 and mentoring them. Jayzinho reconciles with Revvy and accepts Vinícius Júnior's offer to run street tournaments across the world, while Revvy declines Beatriz's offer in favor of continue playing street football for J10 with Syd.

Licenses

[edit]

The game features more than 30 officially licensed leagues, over 700 clubs and over 17,000 players. For the first time in FIFA History, the Romanian Liga I and its 14 teams were added, as well as Emirati club Al Ain, who were added following extensive requests from the fans in the region.[26][27]

Juventus, Boca Juniors, River Plate and Colo-Colo are not featured after they signed exclusive partnership deals with eFootball PES 2020. As a result, they are instead referred to as Piemonte Calcio (Juventus), Buenos Aires (Boca Juniors), Núñez (River Plate) and CD Viñazur (Colo-Colo).[28] While these teams feature the players' likenesses, their official badges and kits are not licensed, and thus replaced by custom designs created by EA Sports. The three teams' stadiums, the Juventus Stadium, La Bombonera, El Monumental and Estadio Monumental, are replaced in the game by generic stadiums as well. Bayern Munich is featured in the game with their licensed players and kits, but without their home stadium Allianz Arena, which also happens to be exclusively licensed to PES 2020.[29]

FIFA 20 retains the exclusive licenses to the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Super Cup, first seen in FIFA 19. The deal includes authentic broadcast packages, branding, and custom commentary.[30] Additionally, the Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana and the Recopa Sudamericana is featured in the game via an update released on 13 March 2020.[31]

EA also signed a deal with ITV to use the Soccer Aid branding included in the 10 June 2020 update, containing FUT icons in Kick-Off.[citation needed]

Stadiums

[edit]

There are 90 fully licensed stadiums from 15 countries in FIFA 20, as well as 29 generic stadiums.[32] Bramall Lane has been included following Sheffield United's promotion, ensuring that all Premier League teams have their respective stadiums.[33] Three new Spanish stadiums have also been added – Estadio El Alcoraz (home of SD Huesca), Estadio De Vallecas (home of Rayo Vallecano) and Estadio José Zorrilla (home of Real Valladolid).[32]

As part of an extensive new licensing deal, 13 new stadiums across the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga were included. These include BayArena (home of Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Mercedes-Benz Arena (home of VfB Stuttgart), Red Bull Arena (home of RB Leipzig) and Volkswagen Arena (home of VfL Wolfsburg).[34] Also added into the game is the Groupama Stadium, home of Olympique Lyonnais in Ligue 1; Red Bull Arena, home of New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer; as well as the Atatürk Olympic Stadium, the venue originally slated to host the 2020 UEFA Champions League Final before the location was changed to Lisbon due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[35] 2 new stadiums were added in 2020 when the Copa Libertadores was released in March. The stadium Estadio Libertadores de América of the Argentinian club Club Atlético Independiente is now available, as well as the stadium Estadio Presidente Juan Domingo Perón of the Argentinian club Racing Club de Avellaneda.[36]

Release

[edit]

Demo/EA Access

[edit]

The FIFA 20 demo was released on 10 September 2019 and includes 6 playable teams which can be played on the UEFA Champions League kick-off mode – Borussia Dortmund, Liverpool, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid[37] and a demo of the new VOLTA Football mode.[38] The demo was available for PS4, Xbox One and PC.[39]

FIFA 20 was the last FIFA game that distributed a free demo.[40]

The game was released through the EA Access subscription on 24 September 2019, which also offers a free 10 hour trial.

Covers

[edit]

FIFA 20 features three cover stars across all regional editions. Real Madrid winger Eden Hazard was named the new cover star of the Regular Edition, with Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk on the cover of the Champions Edition.[4] Former Real Madrid midfielder and manager Zinedine Zidane was later named as the cover star for the Ultimate Edition.[5]

Legacy Edition

[edit]

Whilst the Xbox One, PS4 and PC versions have all of the new features, the Nintendo Switch version was released under the label Legacy Edition, with updated kits, rosters and minor updates, but without the new VOLTA Football mode or any of the other new features.[41] FIFA 20 was not released on Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3, making FIFA 19 the final game in the series to be released on those platforms.[42]

Reception

[edit]

FIFA 20 received "generally favourable" reviews for the PS4[45] and Xbox One[46] versions of the game from critics, while the Nintendo Switch version received "generally unfavorable" reviews from critics,[43] according to review aggregator website Metacritic.

Despite changing some of the mode's features, upon release, the game's Career Mode was criticised for being riddled with bugs including computer-controlled opposition managers picking unusually weak teams,[57] players changing positions seemingly at random, and unexplained ratings changes.[58] The criticism has been described as "issues that either turn its take on realism into a bit of a joke or break the game entirely", with claims that EA is attempting to cover up or downplay the game's flaws.[59] The "#FixCareerMode" hashtag trended for several days on Twitter in the United Kingdom, with fans hoping to draw attention to the issues in the mode.[60] On 16 October 2019, EA responded by releasing a new patch for the game which fixed various issues that were reported to be present.

In a re-review of the game by the Bleacher Report, (it originally awarded the game a 7.5/10 rating), it was described as a 'defensive borefest', going on to criticise the game as frustrating and unbalanced; citing server issues, frustrating game mechanics such as the slow communication between players and the overpowering of AI defending mechanic (a criticism shared by various players online), as well as a general lack of 'fun challenges and rewards' in the popular 'Ultimate Team' mode. Bleacher Report then gave an updated score of 6/10. This view was shared by former world No. 1 FIFA player 'Fnatic Tekzz', who said at a pro event, "Nobody enjoys playing it."[61]

The Nintendo Switch version of the game was criticised for being released as Legacy Edition; a tagline given to versions of the game where only kits, rosters and stadiums are updated from the previous edition of the game.[50]

Many professional players online have widely criticised FIFA 20 as one of the most frustrating editions in the history of the franchise, citing the clunky gameplay, dynamic difficulty and balancing issues. Players have also criticised the popular 'Ultimate Team' for adopting a 'pay-to-play' model, citing the steps that Electronic Arts have taken to make the game more friendly for e-sports competitions.[61][62] In early October 2019, it was reported that some players' personal information was exposed to other gamers. Some players' that signed up to the Fifa 20 Global Series found a completed registration form with other people's information. The error exposed email addresses and birth dates of players. According to EA the problem affected about 1,600 people.[63]

Awards

[edit]
Year Award Category Result Ref.
2019 Gamescom Best Sports Game Nominated [64]
2019 Golden Joystick Awards Best Multiplayer Game Nominated [65]
Titanium Awards Best Sports/Racing Game Nominated [66]
The Game Awards 2019 Nominated [67]
2020 Guild of Music Supervisors Awards Best Music Supervision in a Video Game Won [68][69]
23rd Annual D.I.C.E. Awards Sports Game of the Year Won [70][71]
NAVGTR Awards Game, Franchise Sports Nominated [72]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

FIFA 20

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
FIFA 20 is an simulation video game developed by and EA Bucharest and published by under the brand. Released worldwide on 27 September 2019 for Microsoft Windows, , , and , it marks the twenty-seventh main installment in the series. The game emphasizes enhanced realism through its "Football Intelligence" system, which refines player decision-making, positioning, and interactions on the pitch. A major addition to FIFA 20 is VOLTA Football, a new mode inspired by street and play that shifts from traditional 11v11 matches to dynamic 3v3, 4v4, 4v4 Rush, and 5v5 formats without goalkeepers in some variants. VOLTA includes a single-player story mode featuring customizable avatars progressing through urban football scenes worldwide, alongside competitive online leagues and squad-building elements tied to . Core gameplay innovations encompass improved ball physics for more authentic trajectories and bounces, for better close control, and decisive moment mechanics like composed finishing and controlled tackling to heighten tactical depth. Career Mode receives updates such as interactive press conferences, player morale systems impacting , and the ability to create managers for the first time. FIFA 20 retains licenses for over 30 leagues, 700 clubs, and 17,000 players, including all and Europa League competitions, ensuring broad authenticity in match simulations. Within weeks of launch, the game reached 10 million players and logged over 450 million matches, underscoring its immediate popularity driven by modes like Ultimate Team, which integrates VOLTA squads and introduces seasonal objectives. Critically, FIFA 20 earned "generally favorable" reviews, with a Metacritic score of 79 for the PlayStation 4 version based on 62 critics, praising gameplay refinements and VOLTA's fresh appeal despite familiar Ultimate Team monetization concerns. User reception was notably negative, averaging 1.5 on Metacritic from thousands of ratings, largely due to frustrations with microtransactions, server issues, and perceived lack of innovation beyond VOLTA. The title contributed to the FIFA series surpassing 325 million lifetime units sold by 2021, affirming its role in one of gaming's most enduring franchises.

Development

Announcement

FIFA 20 was officially announced on June 8, 2019, during the press conference at in . The reveal highlighted the game's return to the foundational elements of football through innovative features, positioning it as more than a standard annual update. Central to the announcement was the introduction of VOLTA Football, a new street soccer mode designed to capture the essence of small-sided play inspired by and formats like 5v5. This mode emphasizes authentic urban football , allowing players to create customizable characters and engage in diverse settings that reflect global street culture. Executive Producer Aaron McHardy described VOLTA as: “This year, we are embedding a whole new with VOLTA Football into the game that reflects how many footballers started out their careers in the streets. This is a unique aspect of the sport that gives our players an unlike anything they have ever seen before in EA SPORTS FIFA.” The initial hype was fueled by the first reveal trailer, which debuted immediately after the announcement and showcased VOLTA gameplay with player customization, flair moves, and dynamic urban environments like Amsterdam underpasses and rooftops. Producer Matthew Prior emphasized EA's commitment to by expanding the development team specifically for VOLTA, ensuring it enhanced authenticity and diversity without detracting from core modes. This approach aimed to broaden the franchise's appeal by incorporating street football's creative and cultural roots.

Production

The production of FIFA 20 was led by and EA Romania, marking a collaborative effort between the primary Canadian studio and the Romanian branch in developing the core game systems. EA Romania contributed significantly to various aspects of the title, including gameplay mechanics and regional content integration, building on its established role in the FIFA series. Development commenced shortly after the release of in September 2018, with the team focusing on iterative improvements over an approximately one-year cycle leading to the September 2019 launch. A key area of emphasis during this period was refining the engine, particularly through tweaks to ball physics to enhance realism in trajectories, spins, and interactions with players and the environment. Central to the production were several innovations aimed at elevating match authenticity and player agency. The Authentic Game Flow system was integrated to improve AI comprehension of pitch dynamics, enabling more realistic pacing by prioritizing user-controlled actions in critical scenarios while AI teammates adapted to time, space, and positioning. Complementing this, the Decisive Moments feature empowered players with greater control over pivotal events, such as one-on-one duels and finishing opportunities, through mechanics like Composed Finishing and refined responses. Additionally, enhancements to the AI framework refined player positioning and team tactics, allowing for more intelligent off-ball movement, pressing triggers, and adaptive formations that mirrored professional football strategies. Licensing efforts during production secured the inclusion of Romania's for the first time, featuring all 14 clubs, their kits, crests, and a custom match ball, facilitated by negotiations between and the Romanian Professional Football League. Similarly, from the UAE Pro-League was added as a fully licensed team, responding to sustained fan advocacy and marking the club's debut in the series. These additions reflected targeted regional input to broaden the game's global appeal.

Gameplay

Core mechanics

FIFA 20 introduced several foundational improvements to its on-field , emphasizing realism and player control through enhancements in ball handling, movement, and interactions. The core mechanics build on previous iterations by integrating advanced physics simulations and responsive controls, allowing for more authentic soccer simulations in standard 11v11 matches. These changes aim to balance risk and reward in decision-making, rewarding skilled play while penalizing overly aggressive or imprecise actions. The ball physics system received a complete overhaul in FIFA 20, introducing a new powered by Football Informed Motion technology. This update simulates more realistic ball movement, including enhanced curve, bounce, and spin based on player contact and environmental factors. For instance, shots now exhibit varied trajectories such as dipping volleys and knuckleballs, while interactions with players yield more natural deflections and setups for subsequent touches, improving volley control and setup touches for precise follow-up actions. These physics-based elements contribute to lifelike without relying on scripted outcomes. Offensive and defensive mechanics were refined to promote manual control and strategic depth. On offense, strafe dribbling was added as a new feature, enabling players to hold the L1/LB button while using the left stick for lateral, agile movement with the ball, providing better close control in tight spaces and evading defenders with precision. Defensively, controlled tackling integrates with the Active Touch System, offering varied animations that reward accurate standing tackles with possession retention, reducing the overuse of slide tackles. Additionally, jockey defending saw improvements through enhanced AI positioning, allowing defenders to mirror attackers more effectively and maintain pressure without overcommitting. Passing and incorporate contextual and refined timing for greater precision. Contextual passing adjusts pass types based on player positioning and levels, introducing risk-reward dynamics where high-risk passes can lead to turnovers if mistimed, encouraging thoughtful build-up play. benefits from finesse shot refinements, which curve more realistically around defenders, and updates to timed finishing, where a second button press at the optimal moment boosts accuracy and power, particularly for low-driven or placed shots. These systems prioritize player skill over assisted aids, fostering clinical finishes. Set pieces and free kicks feature updated mechanics focused on physics-driven realism. The Refresh provides deeper aiming controls and skill-based ball striking, allowing for curved deliveries that arc naturally over walls or into corners. Wall jumping adds defensive variability, where players can leap to block high , while free kick trajectories now incorporate swerves and dips influenced by the overhauled physics, demanding precise power and angle adjustments for success. These enhancements make set plays more tactical and less predictable.

VOLTA Football

VOLTA Football is a new mode introduced in FIFA 20 that emphasizes small-sided street football , allowing matches in 3v3, 4v4, or 5v5 formats without offsides or fouls to promote fluid, skill-based play. The mode highlights flair and creativity through simplified skill moves, wall passes where surrounding walls act as additional teammates, and dynamic animations inspired by real street football. Unlike traditional 11v11 matches, it incorporates futsal-style elements such as a heavier ball and smaller pitches, with options for rush modes (no dedicated goalkeepers in 3v3 or 4v4) or full formats including keepers and referees. Players can customize their avatar extensively, selecting streetwear, tattoos, hairstyles, and other vanity items to create a unique male or female character. Team building allows integration of real professional players like , who possess high skill ratings (4.5–5 stars) for effective and flair, or fully custom squads for mixed-gender lineups. Controls are adapted for close-quarters action, featuring autoskill mechanics (holding both triggers for directional moves), aerial flicks via the right , and an emphasis on combinations and nutmegs to outmaneuver opponents. The mode features 17 urban arenas across five continents, including representative locations such as Amsterdam's underpass, Tokyo's streets, and Rio's favelas, with toggleable walls, varying pitch sizes, and surface types that influence physics. Progression occurs through a story-driven Volta Tour mode, where players guide their avatar through objectives in a PvE campaign to build reputation and unlock additional gear and customization options. Online PvP includes a seasons-like structure with 10 divisions for , fostering competitive squad development.

Ultimate Team

Ultimate Team is an online card-collecting mode in FIFA 20 where players build and manage virtual soccer squads using collectible player cards obtained through gameplay, completing objectives, or purchasing packs. Players earn cards by winning matches, fulfilling seasonal challenges, or acquiring them via the in-game Transfer Market, allowing customization of formations, tactics, and kits to suit individual playstyles. Central to squad performance is the chemistry system, which links players through shared nationality, league, or club affiliations, represented by green connection lines; optimal chemistry enhances player attributes and is further boosted by assigning players to preferred positions, selecting a loyal manager, and applying Chemistry Styles. FIFA 20 introduced several updates to Ultimate Team, including Division Rivals, a system that replaced traditional qualifiers for competitive play, where players compete in placement matches to enter divisions and earn points from wins for weekly rewards and qualification to higher-tier events. Squad Battles offers a casual alternative, pitting players against AI-controlled versions of other users' squads in offline matches with no impact on player contracts or injuries, allowing up to 40 challenges per week—though only the first 10 count toward leaderboard rankings—for coin-based rewards determined by final placement. Integration with VOLTA Football enables the creation of street soccer squads using Ultimate Team players, adapting the 11v11 roster for 3v3 Rush, 4v4, 5v5, or formats in modes like VOLTA League, which features online . Progression in Ultimate Team revolves around structured seasons lasting 6-8 weeks, where players accumulate XP through objectives to unlock tiered rewards such as player loans, packs, and , with monthly resets providing fresh challenges. objectives serve as long-term goals, like scoring 100 headers, granting untradeable customization items upon completion. Elite competition occurs via FUT Champions, a weekend for top Division Rivals performers, offering ranked rewards based on wins. The mode features an expanded roster of 88 Icons—legendary retired players available as special cards—categorized into Base, Mid, and Prime versions, with new additions in FIFA 20 including , , , and , whose base card rates at 89 overall and whose Prime Icon reaches 94. Post-release, Ultimate Team faced scrutiny over its loot box mechanics, with packs drawing comparisons to due to randomized rewards purchasable with real money.

Career mode

FIFA 20's Career Mode offers two primary single-player experiences: Manager Career, where players create and control a custom manager avatar to lead a club to success, and Player Career, where users develop a single athlete through training and matches. In Manager Career, customization has been expanded to include detailed avatar creation with options for body type, skin tone, hairstyles, clothing, and accessories, allowing for the first time the option to create a female manager. Managers can adjust their outfit at any point during the season and set tactical instructions directly from the avatar interface, enhancing immersion in club management. Player Career introduces individualized development plans that guide attribute growth based on position and playstyle, with the ability to create female players who can represent women's clubs and national teams. A key enhancement is the dynamic player potential system, which adjusts a player's maximum overall rating based on recent form and , enabling high-potential youngsters to exceed their initial ceiling through consistent while underperformers may see declines. Press conferences before and after matches now feature interactive responses that influence team and the manager's job security rating, simulating real-world media pressures. The youth academy has been improved with a global network supporting up to six scouts, each assignable to specific regions and player types, allowing for the discovery and promotion of young talents to meet board objectives like youth development quotas. Transfer mechanics emphasize realism through detailed negotiations in the Transfer Hub, where users monitor contract expirations, submit bids, and handle player requests via a new messaging interface that affects squad harmony. Board expectations set seasonal goals, such as achieving continental qualification or promoting graduates, with success impacting budget allocations and job stability. schedules provide more depth, featuring no-cost skill games for up to five players with three repeatable drills per session; higher difficulty levels yield greater attribute boosts, aiding in form recovery and potential realization. Women's football integration extends to Player Career, where female athletes can receive international call-ups to one of the 16 licensed women's national teams, participating in tournaments like the Women's International Cup. Post-launch updates addressed minor bugs in Career Mode, such as inconsistencies in transfer negotiations and morale calculations, improving overall stability without altering core features.

Pro Clubs

Pro Clubs is an online multiplayer mode in FIFA 20 where players create a virtual professional (Virtual Pro) to join or form clubs and compete in 11v11 matches against other clubs, emphasizing and persistent progression over seasons divided into 10-game leagues for . Players can team up with friends or random users, filling specific positions on the pitch while AI controls unoccupied spots to complete the team, allowing for both competitive ranked play and casual drop-in sessions. Customization options for the Virtual Pro include a new universal avatar system with a four-quadrant tool for detailed facial features, skin tones, hairstyles, and accessories, enabling highly personalized appearances that carry over from other modes. Players select from restored positions such as left/right forwards (LF/RF), left/right midfielders (LM/RM), and left/right wingbacks (LWB/RWB), with height and weight choices influencing physical attributes like speed, strength, and ball control. Clubs themselves can be branded with custom crests, kits, and banners, managed through a transfers screen for recruiting members and assigning roles. FIFA 20 introduced enhanced progression mechanics starting Virtual Pros at an 80 overall rating, with skill points earned through match participation to unlock over 30 role-specific perks and traits that provide trade-offs, such as boosting pace at the cost of stamina, encouraging strategic build choices. Improved prioritizes skill levels for fairer games, while new co-op options include Practice Matches against AI teams ranging from beginner to legendary difficulty for honing tactics without online pressure. Additional updates feature House Rules Cups with rotating daily variants like or headers-only, adding variety to casual play. Social features foster community interaction through in-game club chats for coordination, leaderboards tracking individual and club performance across seasons, and seasonal rewards like exclusive kits or emotes based on collective achievements. Team captains can select kits pre-match to avoid color clashes, and new coordinated celebrations allow synchronized post-goal animations among club members, enhancing the group experience. Visual enhancements, including overlays and dynamic club logos in broadcasts, further immerse players in a professional club atmosphere during matches.

Licenses

Leagues and teams

FIFA 20 features more than 30 officially licensed leagues, over 700 clubs, and more than 17,000 authentic players, providing extensive representation of global football. The game includes full licensing for all major European leagues, such as the English Premier League with its 20 teams, Spanish La Liga Santander, German Bundesliga, Italian Serie A TIM, French Ligue 1 Conforoma, Portuguese Primeira Liga, and Dutch Eredivisie, ensuring authentic team names, kits, and rosters for these competitions. Other prominent leagues covered include the Scottish Premiership, Belgian Pro League, Argentine Primera División, Brazilian Série A (with generic player names), Major League Soccer (MLS), and the Russian Premier League. New licensing additions enhance the game's diversity, with the introduction of Romania's in its entirety, featuring all 14 teams such as and for the first time. The Saudi Professional League receives expanded coverage beyond previous partial licensing, including key clubs like Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr. MLS also sees growth with additional teams and deeper rosters, while from the joins as a standalone addition in the Rest of World category, marking its debut in the series. The player database exceeds 17,000 individuals, with licensed athletes benefiting from accurate ratings, 3D facial scans, and physical likenesses derived from real-world performances and data. FIFA 20 incorporates 16 women's national teams, including those from , the , , , and , allowing gameplay across genders in modes like Kick-Off and Career; Brazil's women's team uses generic player representations due to licensing restrictions. Licensing limitations affect select teams, resulting in generic placeholders to maintain gameplay options. Juventus, exclusive to Konami's 2020, appears as "Piemonte Calcio" with fabricated kits and crest but retains real player names, faces, and ratings. Similar adaptations apply to unlicensed South American sides, such as (renamed Buenos Aires) and River Plate (renamed Núñez), while Brazilian clubs feature generic player names in certain modes.

Stadiums

FIFA 20 includes a total of 119 stadiums available across its various game modes, consisting of 90 fully licensed real-world venues and 29 generic stadiums designed for broader use. Among the licensed stadiums are iconic venues such as Anfield, the historic home of Liverpool FC in the Premier League, and Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, the storied ground of Real Madrid in La Liga. New additions to this roster enhance authenticity, particularly with the inclusion of all 18 Bundesliga stadiums for the first time, such as BayArena (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) and Signal Iduna Park (Borussia Dortmund), alongside Bramall Lane (Sheffield United) from the Premier League, Red Bull Arena (New York Red Bulls) from Major League Soccer, and Atatürk Olimpiyat Stadı in Turkey. These licensed stadiums tie directly to the game's authenticated leagues, providing accurate representations of matchday environments. Generic stadiums fill gaps for unlicensed teams and leagues, offering fallback options with customizable elements like varying pitch dimensions, seating capacities, and visual styles to maintain gameplay variety. They incorporate atmosphere effects, including crowd chants tailored to team affiliations, dynamic weather conditions such as or that influence physics and visibility, and environmental details like or night settings. In integration across modes like Kick-Off, , and Ultimate Team, stadiums feature dynamic crowds that react in real-time to in-game events, such as cheering for goals or jeering poor plays, fostering an immersive matchday feel. Graphical enhancements include improved lighting to replicate floodlights and shadows, while pitch wear simulates realistic degradation with divots and mud accumulation as matches progress, subtly impacting footing and ball roll. No entirely new stadium creations from scratch are introduced, but the expanded selection builds on prior entries for greater realism.

Release

Release dates and platforms

FIFA 20 was released worldwide on September 27, 2019. Players who pre-ordered the Ultimate Edition gained three days of starting September 24, 2019, on , , and PC. The game was also available through a 10-hour trial for EA Access and Origin Access members beginning September 19, 2019. The game launched on , , Microsoft Windows via Origin, and . It was distributed both digitally through platform stores and physically via retail copies, with no significant regional delays reported. The , , and PC versions featured the full suite of next-generation enhancements, including the new VOLTA Football mode and updated mechanics. In contrast, the edition was released as a Legacy Edition, which updated rosters, kits, and squads from the previous year but retained the core engine and features of without new modes or graphical improvements.

Demo and early access

The demo for FIFA 20 was released on September 10, 2019, for , , and PC platforms. It featured Kick-Off mode, allowing players to experience group stage matches with six selectable teams: Chelsea, , , Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, and . These matches could be played at stadiums such as Stamford Bridge, Santiago Bernabéu, and . The demo also showcased the new VOLTA Football mode, providing a preview of the street soccer experience with 3v3 Rush gameplay, but excluded Career mode and Pro Clubs. No Ultimate Team content was included in the demo, focusing instead on core testing without online squad-building elements. trials were available starting September 19, 2019, for subscribers to EA Access on and , as well as Origin Access Basic and Premier on PC, offering up to 10 hours of full game playtime before the official launch. This trial provided broader access to modes beyond the demo, serving as an extended preview for eligible players. Player feedback from the demo influenced subsequent updates, with EA incorporating community input on elements like VOLTA Football skill games, leading to scoring adjustments in the first major patch released shortly after launch.

Cover art

The cover art for FIFA 20 featured prominent football stars across its various editions, marking a shift from previous years by highlighting as the global face of the Standard Edition. , who had recently transferred to Real Madrid from Chelsea, appeared in dynamic action poses wearing his new club's kit, symbolizing his high-profile move and serving as the primary athlete for regions including the , , , and the . Regional variants included for the Saudi Arabian edition and for the Turkish edition, adapting the artwork to local audiences while maintaining the core design of in a forward-dribbling stance against a stylized pitch background. The Champions Edition showcased defender , depicted in a powerful, grounded pose clad in his team's crimson kit, emphasizing his defensive prowess and leadership following Liverpool's successful season. This edition's artwork incorporated subtle branding elements teasing the new VOLTA Football mode, such as urban-inspired graphics blended with traditional pitch motifs to highlight the game's street soccer innovation. For the Ultimate Edition, French legend returned as the ambassador, portrayed in an iconic mid-volley action shot from his playing days, underscoring his status as a FIFA Icon and tying into the game's Ultimate Team features. Overall, the FIFA 20 cover designs adopted a vibrant, high-energy aesthetic with bold colors, player-focused compositions, and integrated branding, without any notable controversies surrounding the artwork selections or presentations.

Legacy Edition

The FIFA 20 Legacy Edition for was released on September 27, 2019, without options available to players, unlike the versions on other platforms that offered trials through EA Access. This edition served as a downgraded port tailored to the Switch's hardware limitations, utilizing the core engine from with only roster updates, kit changes, and minor graphical tweaks, while omitting major innovations like VOLTA Football mode, next-generation visual enhancements, and several Ultimate Team features such as Division Rivals and extensive live content updates. It features the same gameplay innovation from without any new development or significant enhancements, positioned by EA as a portable, on-the-go alternative to the full-featured releases on , , and PC, rather than a fully equivalent experience. Despite the reductions, the game retained core modes including Kick-Off, , and a streamlined Ultimate Team, alongside over 700 teams across 30 leagues and more than 90 stadiums for authentic match play. It also preserved and Europa League authenticity, allowing players to engage in tournament simulations and multiplayer matches, though without the depth of new gameplay mechanics found on primary platforms.

Marketing and editions

Promotion

The promotion of FIFA 20 began with its official reveal at , where (EA) unveiled the game's trailer emphasizing the new VOLTA Football mode, a street soccer experience inspired by legends like . The trailer, released on June 8, 2019, showcased customizable player avatars, urban environments, and 3v3, 4v4, and 5v5 gameplay formats, positioning VOLTA as a fresh alternative to traditional 11v11 matches. This cinematic debut highlighted the game's focus on individual flair and community play, generating early buzz among fans. Leading up to launch, EA rolled out social media teasers centered on VOLTA, including short clips and behind-the-scenes posts shared across platforms like and , often featuring partnerships with clubs such as Manchester City to demonstrate gear customization and skill moves. These teasers built anticipation by previewing narrative elements, such as player backstories in favelas and alleys, encouraging and shares. In parallel, gameplay deep-dive trailers were released, including the Career Mode Pitch Notes on August 7, 2019, which detailed enhancements like customizable manager avatars, dynamic player potential, and interactive press conferences to deepen offline progression. Additional trailers explored modes like Ultimate Team and Pro Clubs, using live-action sequences with cover stars and to depict real-world transitions to in-game action. At 2019 in August, EA hosted hands-on demos allowing attendees to experience VOLTA's responsive controls, wall bounces, and team tactics in playable builds, alongside previews of core gameplay improvements like authentic player interactions. The event featured live streams and tournaments, providing direct feedback opportunities and amplifying visibility through on-site media coverage. Influencers streamed and created content around VOLTA challenges. Pre-order incentives played a key role in driving early commitments, offering bonuses such as up to three FIFA Ultimate Team Rare Gold Packs (one per week for three weeks on Standard Edition) and choices of mid-version loan players, redeemable via digital storefronts to boost squad-building motivation. Higher editions provided escalated rewards, like 40 Rare Gold Packs over 20 weeks for Ultimate Edition, alongside starting September 24, 2019, to encourage immediate engagement with Ultimate Team and VOLTA. These perks were promoted through retailer bundles and EA's official channels, leveraging the cover art of and for visual appeal in ads.

Special editions

FIFA 20 was released in several special editions, each providing escalating levels of in-game content, primarily focused on FIFA Ultimate Team bonuses, alongside varying access timings and pricing. The Standard Edition served as the base offering, priced at $59.99 for , , and PC platforms, and included the core game with access to all modes such as Volta Football, Career Mode, and Ultimate Team. Pre-ordering this edition granted up to three FIFA Ultimate Team Rare Gold packs (delivered one per week for three weeks), a choice of one mid-version loan item for five Ultimate Team matches from a selection of five Icons, and special edition FUT kits. The Champions Edition, at $79.99, built upon the Standard Edition by adding three days of beginning September 24, 2019, allowing players to start before the full September 27 release. It included up to twelve FIFA Ultimate Team Rare Gold packs (one per week for twelve weeks), the same loan pick for five matches, and special edition FUT kits, emphasizing value for Ultimate Team enthusiasts seeking additional pack rewards without the highest tier cost. The premium Ultimate Edition, priced at $99.99, encompassed all Champions Edition benefits, including the period, while doubling the weekly pack rewards to up to twenty-four FIFA Ultimate Team Rare Gold packs (two per week for twelve weeks). It also featured the loan pick and special FUT kits, with an additional untradeable Ones to Watch player item available for pre-orders placed by August 5, 2019; this edition highlighted , a new for FIFA 20, on its cover to underscore its elite status. Editions were available in both digital and physical formats, with physical bundles typically including a game disc, manual, and reversible , while digital versions enabled instant downloads via platforms like the or Origin. Regional pricing variations existed, such as £59.99 for the Standard Edition in the UK and €69.99 in much of , reflecting local market adjustments and differences. A separate Legacy Edition for , priced at $49.99, offered the base game without new features like Volta Football or enhanced Ultimate Team content, catering to portable play without the full suite of updates.

Reception

Critical reviews

FIFA 20 received generally favorable reviews from critics, earning aggregate scores of 79/100 for the version based on 65 reviews and 79/100 for the version based on 18 reviews. The PC version fared slightly worse with a 72/100 score from six reviews. Reviewers highlighted the game's refinements to core mechanics, noting improved player movement and more realistic gameplay flow that enhanced match immersion. The introduction of VOLTA Football mode was a standout feature, praised for injecting fresh street soccer elements and innovative 3v3, 4v4, and 5v5 gameplay that diversified the experience beyond traditional matches. Additions to Career Mode, such as interactive player conversations and improved scouting systems, were commended for making managerial progression more engaging and immersive. Ultimate Team also saw enhancements like the removal of contracts and better squad-building tools, contributing to the mode's accessibility and depth. IGN awarded the game 7.8/10, calling VOLTA a "breath of fresh air" that revitalized the series despite familiar core elements. Critics frequently pointed out the game's incremental nature, criticizing it for lacking substantial evolution from FIFA 19 beyond minor tweaks, which made it feel like an iterative update rather than a bold step forward. Ultimate Team's reliance on microtransactions and loot boxes was lambasted as repetitive and monetization-heavy, potentially alienating players without premium spending. Launch issues, including bugs in Career Mode such as scouting glitches and morale inconsistencies, drew complaints for undermining early playthroughs. The absence of next-generation hardware optimizations was another common critique, as the game did not fully leverage emerging console capabilities. gave it an 8/10, appreciating the comforting familiarity but noting its flaws in innovation.

Awards

FIFA 20 garnered recognition across several prominent ceremonies, earning two wins and multiple nominations in categories focused on sports titles, multiplayer features, and audio design. Although it did not achieve a major sweep in any event, the game competed against strong contenders like and in sports-specific categories, underscoring its standing within the genre. At the 23rd Annual held in 2020, FIFA 20 won Sports Game of the Year, beating nominees including , , , and NHL 20. This accolade highlighted the game's advancements in football simulation and new modes like VOLTA Football. The game also secured a win at the 10th Annual in 2020 for Best Music Supervision in a , awarded to supervisors Cybele Pettus and Raphaella Lima for their curation of the soundtrack featuring artists like and . Among its nominations, FIFA 20 was shortlisted for Best Sports/ at , facing competition from , , eFootball Pro Evolution Soccer 2020, F1 2019, and ; the category was ultimately won by . It was also nominated for Best Multiplayer Game at the 2019 , a public-voted event where it vied against , , and , with taking the win. Additionally, FIFA 20 received a nomination in the Game, Franchise Sports category at the 2019 NAVGTR Awards from the National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers. Beyond formal awards, FIFA 20's integration into earned notable recognition, serving as the official platform for the 2020 and other tournaments organized by , which amplified its competitive legacy despite no dedicated esports award wins.

Commercial performance

Sales figures

FIFA 20 achieved strong launch performance, recording 816,985 physical units sold in the UK during its first week, marking the biggest boxed launch of in that market. This figure represented a 7% decline from the launch sales of , reflecting the ongoing shift toward digital purchases in the region. Globally, the game reached over 10 million players within its first 10 days following , underscoring its immediate commercial appeal. By the end of ' fiscal year in March, FIFA 20 had attracted more than 25 million unique players worldwide. By November , FIFA 20 had reached nearly 35 million players on console and PC. The title contributed to the broader FIFA franchise, which had sold over 325 million units lifetime by 2021. Sales were strongest on the platform, accounting for 61% of 's UK launch units. In contrast, the version, released as a Legacy Edition with limited updates from , underperformed due to its lack of new features and poor critical reception.

Player engagement

experienced rapid player growth post-launch, attracting 10 million players within its first two weeks of availability on September 27, 2019. By early October 2019, the community had collectively played 450 million matches and scored 1.2 billion goals across all game modes, highlighting the title's immediate appeal and depth of engagement. Online play, especially in FIFA Ultimate Team, dominated user activity, drawing more participants than any prior entry in the series during its initial weeks, with over 272 million matches contested in the mode alone. Division Rivals, a core competitive component of Ultimate Team, engaged millions of users in ranked , fostering ongoing rivalries and progression systems. events amplified this, with viewership peaking at 66,182 concurrent viewers during the eClub in February 2020. The PC platform saw a vibrant modding community, where users developed and shared tools like the Live Editor for in-game edits and realism overhauls to extend Career Mode longevity. Fan discussions on official EA forums played a key role in development, directly influencing patches such as the reversion of set-piece speed adjustments in Title Update 7 following widespread community backlash. Engagement patterns mirrored those of annual sports titles, featuring a surge in active users at launch that typically declined after 3-6 months as anticipation built for the subsequent installment. This cycle underscored FIFA 20's role in sustaining year-round interest through online persistence and community-driven content.

Post-release

Updates and patches

FIFA 20 received a series of title updates following its September 2019 launch, primarily aimed at resolving bugs, improving stability, and incorporating real-world updates. These patches, released monthly through early 2020, addressed critical issues across modes including Career Mode, VOLTA Football, and Ultimate Team, with a total of over 20 major updates documented by EA. Early updates in October 2019, such as Title Update 4 (patch 1.05), focused on Career Mode fixes, including corrections to AI team selection where opposing teams previously fielded suboptimal lineups in high-stakes matches, leading to unrealistic gameplay. The patch also resolved issues with dynamic player potential calculations, preventing abrupt or erroneous growth projections based on performance, and fixed morale system glitches that caused inconsistent player satisfaction levels regardless of match outcomes or playing time. Additional changes included ensuring international tournaments like the triggered properly in new saves and correcting erroneous manager dismissals despite strong team results. These adjustments enhanced the mode's realism and player progression mechanics. November 2019's Title Update 6 (patch 1.07) targeted VOLTA Football balancing, addressing attribute display errors where chemistry boosts appeared on incorrect player stats and fixing stability crashes during shop interactions or training drills. Gameplay tweaks reduced stamina drain inconsistencies in small-sided matches and improved ball physics responsiveness for street-style play, making VOLTA more competitive and less prone to exploits. Subsequent updates through the end of 2019, such as Title Update 5, refined finishing mechanics by adjusting long-shot accuracy thresholds (e.g., reducing effectiveness beyond 55 feet) and tackling animations to prevent unnatural stumbles. Winter updates in late 2019 and early 2020 introduced content for Ultimate Team, including the Winter Refresh event in February 2020, which featured new ICON Moments cards, squad rating upgrades for over 50 real-world performers (e.g., +5 overall for players like Daniel James and based on mid-season form), and themed events like Objectives. Regular squad updates reflected January changes, updating rosters with new signings and kit designs across leagues. These additions kept the mode engaging without altering core gameplay. Later patches from mid-2020 onward shifted to stability and minor fixes, exemplified by Title Update 12 in March 2020, which integrated competitions ( and Sudamericana) into Kick Off and Career Mode, alongside stamina balancing for defensive tactics like Overload Ball Side (increasing the stamina drain during opposition possession). By June 2020's patch 1.22, efforts centered on performance optimizations, resolving crashing bugs and freezing in Ultimate Team, with no new content expansions. Following FIFA 21's October 2020 release, support for FIFA 20 entered a through 2021, limited to occasional stability hotfixes for legacy servers and bug resolutions, as development resources prioritized newer titles; no major expansions occurred after 2020. Overall, these updates resolved over 50 documented bugs across modes, significantly improving long-term playability.

Controversies

Upon its release in September 2019, FIFA 20 faced significant backlash due to numerous bugs in Career Mode, particularly affecting AI team management and competition scheduling. Players reported that AI-controlled teams frequently fielded suboptimal lineups, such as deploying youth or reserve players in high-stakes matches, which led to unrealistic results and made the mode feel unplayable for many. Additionally, the game suffered from glitches where the and Europa League competitions failed to occur entirely during simulated seasons, preventing progression in European tournaments. Other issues included erratic player potential assessments, resulting in unexplained rating changes and hindering long-term squad development. These problems sparked the #FixCareerMode trending on , highlighting widespread player frustration with the mode's launch state. In October 2019, shortly after launch, a in the FIFA 20 Global Series registration process exposed of approximately 1,600 competitive players to others signing up for the event. The breach revealed sensitive information including addresses, usernames, account IDs, dates of birth, and IP addresses, raising concerns among the affected community. EA confirmed the incident stemmed from a technical error in their online forms and stated they were notifying impacted individuals while implementing fixes to prevent recurrence. The company apologized for the oversight, emphasizing that no payment details were compromised. In December 2019, EA removed Dutch football legend from the Icons roster in FIFA 20's Ultimate Team mode following a controversial on-air comment. During a live broadcast analyzing a match, van Basten uttered "Sieg Heil"—a phrase historically associated with Nazi salutes—off-mic while mocking a German reporter's accent when discussing a German football manager, prompting immediate backlash for its insensitivity. Van Basten issued an apology, claiming it was an ill-advised joke, but faced suspension from his pundit role at Netherlands. EA acted swiftly to delete his Icon card from the game across all platforms, citing the need to uphold community standards. FIFA 20's Ultimate Team mode drew continued criticism for its reliance on loot boxes, known as FIFA Points packs, amid growing regulatory scrutiny in over their gambling-like mechanics. In late 2020, a Dutch court upheld a regulatory order that these purchasable packs constituted illegal under national , imposing escalating fines up to €10 million against EA for non-compliance unless removed. This decision built on earlier actions, such as Belgium's 2018 ban on loot boxes in games including prior FIFA titles, which classified them as games of chance due to randomized rewards without guaranteed value. However, in March 2022, the Dutch overturned the ruling on appeal, determining that the packs do not form a separate game of chance and thus do not violate laws; the fine was revoked. Advocacy groups across , including in the and the , pushed for broader reforms, arguing the system encouraged addictive spending, particularly among younger players. EA defended the feature as non-gambling but adjusted pack disclosures in response to investigations.

Server shutdown

On November 6, 2023, discontinued all online services for FIFA 20 across , PC, , and platforms. This shutdown marked the end of support for the game's multiplayer components, aligning with EA's policy for legacy titles typically maintained for four to five years post-release. The discontinuation affected key online modes, including Ultimate Team, Pro Clubs, and VOLTA Football, eliminating matchmaking, weekly rewards, and live content updates such as squad refreshes and events. Players could no longer participate in competitive online matches or transfer market activities, though offline modes like Kick-Off, Career Mode, and local multiplayer remained fully accessible without interruption. EA framed the shutdown as a standard transition for older FIFA installments, urging players to migrate to subsequent titles in the series, now rebranded as , to continue enjoying updated online experiences. The company emphasized that while online functionality ceased, the core single-player content preserved the game's longevity for offline enthusiasts. The server closure had significant repercussions for the player base, particularly those invested in online progress, as server-side data for Ultimate Team squads, coins, and achievements became irretrievable, leading to widespread disappointment among long-term users. On PC, the community responded by developing tools and patches via sites like FIFA Infinity, enabling offline simulations of FUT elements such as custom squad management and AI matches, though these do not replicate the full online ecosystem.

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