FC 24 looks set to be the next game arriving from EA Sports, replacing the FIFA franchise as we know it.
With a split announced in 2022, we want to look ahead to the start of this brand-new era by suggesting some concepts that we think would take the game to next level.
This time, we want to take a look at significant changes that could be made to Career Mode and how this forgotten feature could hold the key to success for EA.
FC 24 Concepts - Career Mode
It won't be long before FC 24, the new game from EA, arrives in our laps.
Whilst it may be the start of a new era, there's no promise yet that this new name will indicate any major changes.
However, we believe it's of paramount importance that EA takes this change in its stride and doesn't shy away from making necessary changes.
With that in mind, we believe Career Mode could be a key point of change, with this neglected feature feeling outdated and in need of major changes.
The Problem
Career Mode has a huge fanbase, with the mode being the second most played in the game.
Whilst it may not have the same money-making power as Ultimate Team, the game's most popular offering, it does have the ability to draw in players unlike any other.
The beauty of Career Mode is that it's fully customisable and you can tell your own story, as opposed to the rather formulaic experience offered by FUT.
Right now, Career Mode is a slog, bogged down by meaningless features and a monotonous grind that quickly becomes tiresome.
Negotiations are flat, every game feels the same and there is very little offered in the way of reward.
One of the major problems Career Mode suffers is the general lack of substance, with the only thing bearing any consequences being the strange and oftentimes frustrating manager objectives.
It is a mode that saw little love in recent years and is in truly desperate need of a revamp.
The Solution
FC 24 has a chance to set the standard moving forward, and the baseline should revolve around EA listening to its communities.
Many communities feel isolated from input and the Career Mode fanbase can count themselves near the top of that list.
Instead of persisting with the same routine, EA needs to cut the fluff and implement meaningful change.
In order to understand what a true Career Mode should be about, EA needs to look at the Football Manager franchise for inspiration, with Sports Interactive offering the purest form of management immersion.
Whilst they can't - and don't need to - go into as much depth as the FM series, FC 24 can take elements and make them better, implementing them into a game where you can actually take control of the players on a matchday.
Things like analytics, enhanced scouting and the opportunity to develop positive and negative relationships with your players will all combine to create a more immersive experience for the player.
Scrapping manager objectives - or at least some of them - is also a good start.
Right now, too many saves begin with you being asked to sign a crucial goalkeeper when your present one is more than good enough or even sign players from an obscure part of the world with no rhyme or reason.
FC 24 can nip this in the bud and set a new standard for the mode, with EA needing to look back at what made career mode so special in the past, rather than what fancy new cut scenes they can implement in the future.
Untapped Potential
As mentioned above, this concept may not have the money-making capabilities that EA would be looking to utilise, but it could unlock the door and bring a whole new range of players to FC 24.
Football Manager releasing on console could be seen as competition, but there will also be a school of players that will be searching for the best of both worlds, and that's where this concept provides an easy win for EA.
By nurturing a mode that rewards offline players, EA can create a clear market for multiple audiences and once again establish their game as the true home of football gaming.