FIFA 23 Career Mode has gotten off to a somewhat rocky start, with some fans complaining about a lack of new features.
One missing piece can be found on the terraces, with crowds feeling less reactive than ever before.
However, we've constructed a concept that would completely revolutionise the feeling and speciality of each game in Career Mode.
FIFA 23 Crowds
EA Sports may have introduced pre-match cutscenes in Career Mode that showcase fan parks outside the stadiums, but it's the NPCs in the stands that are causing issues this year.
Baffling reactions, away ends emptying out at the same rate as the home and a general lack of enthusiasm has spoilt a once shining element of manager mode.
This year, fans feel less real than ever, with multiple occasions of glitches and strange behaviour completely taking us out of the game.
This may seem like a small-scale complaint but, as we've said all along, the small things go a long way, especially in offline modes like Career Mode.
Dynamic Attendances
A few years ago, EA introduced a feature in which crowds would begin to filter out if your side was losing by 3 goals or more.
This feature would add an extra layer of frustration to a poor performance, or pride in a thrashing.
For the most part, this feature worked and was a nice little detail that made things feel authentic.
This year, however, that feature is completely broken.
For example, we were winning 4-0 at West Ham with Manchester United in a game of Career Mode and not only did the London Stadium empty in the home end, but away fans also started to leave.
This simply doesn't make sense and has left us feeling confused and, at times, annoyed.
As stated, this is a small gripe in the grand scheme of things, but small annoyances begin to add up when attempting to enjoy an immersive experience offline.
That's why we want to see Dynamic Attendances introduced, with sides lower down the table having emptier stadiums, as well as cup games - at least in the early stages - also having poor turnouts.
Not only would this be true to real life - as not every stadium in the country is full on a matchday - but it would also add a greater sense of achievement.
For instance, if you take over a side 20th in the table and they are playing in front of no fans, there is a greater sense of accomplishment in getting them into the playoffs, as well as seeing the stands begin to fill.
Football works that way in real life, and we want to see that authentic fan experience and general fickle nature translated into the game.
Deeper Implementation
Gate receipt money and attendance are accounted for in both the 'office' and 'objectives' sections of Career Mode, but they are inconsequential.
Having a system in which fan engagement directly impacted your club's wealth, and manager rating would be a great way to add extra layers of skill to FIFA 23.
Alas, with Career Mode swimming in dangerous waters after another lacklustre showing in FIFA 23, we fear that such small features are likely to be lost to the behemoth - and priority - that is the money-spinning Ultimate Team.