Another year, another FIFA game is on the way from the wizards at EA.

This year is most interesting, however, as it falls on the launch of a new generation of systems.

Here’s all you need to know about the different editions, how next-gen upgrades work, and much more.

Formats

FIFA 21 will be available for PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC on October 9th 2020. It will arrive on PS5 and Xbox Series S l X on launch days of both consoles and will launch on Stadia in the near future.

It will also be added to the EA Play Subscription Service from October 1st and you will be able to trial the game for ten hours.

Demo

This year, there will be no demo for FIFA 21 so the development team can focus on finishing the game. It will be added to EA Play on October 1st where it can be trialled for ten hours. (Please note – EA Play is being added to Xbox GamePass Ultimate at no additional charge from Holiday 2020)

What’s new?

EA are saying this has ‘the most intelligent FIFA gameplay to date’ – adding ‘Agile Dribbling’ giving increased creativity and control over the ball. There’s also Positioning Personality with AI intelligently moving into better positions.

Creative Runs give you more control over AI attackers, collisions, and basic systems have also been reworked.

Volta is also making a comeback to the series.

Editions

There will be three different editions of the game – Standard, Champions, and Ultimate Editions across all formats, except Nintendo Switch which will get its own ‘Legacy Edition’.

Standard Edition

FIFA 21 costs £54.99 on current-gen systems. However, if you own FIFA 21 on either PS4 or Xbox One, you can upgrade to PS5 or Xbox Series S l X respectively at no additional charge through ‘Dual Entitlement*’.

The Standard Edition is available physically and digitally and will include the base game, along with the following…

Up to 3 Rare Gold Packs, 1 per week for 3 weeks
Cover Star Loan Item, for 5 FUT matches
FUT Ambassador Player Pick — Choose 1 of 3 player items for 3 FUT matches.
Special Edition FUT Kits and stadium items

Legacy Edition (Switch Only)

Fifa 21 costs £44.99 on Switch and features the latest kits and squad updates for the upcoming season. There will be updated presentation, but no new game play modes or additions.

Champions Edition

Fifa 21 Champions Edition costs £79.99 on current gen systems. As with all other versions, if you own FIFA 21 on these platforms, you can upgrade to next gen at no additional charge through ‘Dual Entitlement*’.

The Champions Edition is available physically and digitally and will include the base game, along with the following…

3 days of early access
Up to 12 Rare Gold Packs, 1 per week for 12 weeks
Cover Star Loan Item, for 5 FUT matches
Career Mode Homegrown Talent — A local youth prospect with world-class potential.
FUT Ambassador Player Pick — Choose 1 of 3 player items for 3 FUT matches.
Special Edition FUT Kits and stadium items

Ultimate Edition

Fifa 21 Ultimate Edition costs £89.99 on current gen systems. As with all other versions, if you own FIFA 21 on these platforms, you can upgrade to next gen at no additional charge through ‘Dual Entitlement*’.

The Ultimate Edition is available physically and digitally and will include the base game, along with the following…

3 days of early access
Up to 24 Rare Gold Packs, 2 per week for 12 weeks
Cover Star Loan Item, for 5 FUT matches
Career Mode Homegrown Talent — A local youth prospect with world-class potential.
FUT Ambassador Player Pick — Choose 1 of 3 player items for 3 FUT matches.
Special Edition FUT Kits and stadium items

What is *Dual Entitlement?

If you own FIFA 21 on PS4 or Xbox One – physically or digitally – you are automatically eligible to upgrade the game to the PS5 or Xbox Series S l X version for free.

You only have a limited window of time to do this, however, as you must upgrade the game between the release of FIFA 21 and FIFA 22.

If you own FIFA 21 as a physical disk on PS4 or Xbox One, you will not be able to upgrade for free on a PS5 Digital or Xbox Series S console.

You can only use your Dual Entitlement on the same family of consoles – meaning Xbox One owners can only upgrade to Xbox Series S l X and PS4 can only upgrade to PS5.

Some game progress will carry across between generations – such as Ultimate Team and Volta. Unfortunately, Online Seasons and Career Mode saves won’t carry over.

FIFA 21 will release on EA Play from October 1st and then October 9th across all current major formats.