After delivering a brutally honest assessment of the FC 24 experience so far, YouTuber MGH joins us for Part 2 of our exclusive interview to dive into the future of EA FC and the potential return of FIFA.
We also discuss the current state of Career Mode, what features EA are looking to implement moving forward, and more!
A Career Mode advocate
For those of you who are unfamiliar with his work, MGH, also known as Matt, is one of the most popular FIFA and EA FC content creators in the business, racking up an incredible 824K subscribers and millions of views.
Producing his first-ever FIFA Career Mode video over 12 years ago, Matt has become an important voice within the Career Mode community, working closely with EA to make it even better.
With this in mind, we decided to reach out to Matt to get his honest opinions on FC 24, Career Mode, FIFA 2K, and the future of both franchises. In Part 2 of our interview, Matt shares his thoughts on Career Mode, FC 25, and the anticipated FIFA comeback.
You are mainly known for your Career Mode videos in FIFA and FC 24. Alongside Ultimate Team, it's always been a fan-favourite, yet it doesn't seem to be getting the time and care it deserves from developers. What are your honest views on its current state and do you think we should be worried about it moving forward?
"It comes down to a few factors, but the main one of course being revenue. Ultimate Team brings in an absurd amount of money, and unfortunately Career Mode does not. It is worrying, and has been for some time!
Career Mode is arguably the original game mode that first encouraged players to play and fall in love with the franchise - yet it has slowly been neglected. Thankfully, the Career Mode community and its loyal player base have continued to play and show love for the game mode, and EA see the numbers.
I wouldn't be worried about the game mode being removed in future titles, I am more worried about a lack of innovation. I am confident that Career Mode will continue to be a big part of future titles no matter what."
Are there any specific features you'd like to see in future Career Modes?
"I could sit here all day talking about the direction I would love to see Career Mode go in, and all the features I would love to see. There is so much potential!
To put it simply, the more detail the better. Another extremely successful game in this space is Football Manager - and I quite often pine for features from that game to be introduced into Career Mode. One feature that is high on EA's list is more focus on the Youth Academy, everyone loves to find the next Messi or Ronaldo, and any improvement in that regard is definitely something I would love to see implemented.
I would also like to see a heavy focus on having more 'manager-style' features, making us feel like we are truly in control of the club and not just simply making signings and playing games."
As you may be aware, there have been rumours that FIFA and 2K are in talks over a partnership that would see 2K develop an officially licensed FIFA Game. What is your initial reaction to that and how do you see the rivalry between EA and FIFA playing out should this come to fruition?
"I fully expect these rumours to be true. EA decided not to renew their partnership with FIFA and there is no doubt in my mind that another studio would eventually snap it up.
2K is a huge company, and no doubt has the finances to acquire the FIFA license and build a AAA football game over the coming years. However, and it's a big however, 2K do not have a particularly shining reputation in this industry.
Amongst consumers, EA and 2K are seen in a similar light regarding micro-transactions and an extreme approach to monetizing their games in unhealthy ways. We've all heard the saying though, competition is always good, and I would expect 2K to push EA into making a better product should they build their own football game - but I have massive doubts they would even make a dent in EA's sales in the short term."
Bearing in mind the issues we have already touched on when it comes to FC 24, a lot of players could be keen on switching allegiance and moving over to a new FIFA game. What do you think Electronic Arts must do to ensure EA FC remains ahead of the curve and the people's favourite?
"This is a tough question, because all we have had over the last decade is FIFA or PES (Pro Evolution Soccer). There has only been one winner, and it certainly wasn't Konami's game.
People are itching for the best football game experience, and I have no doubt that people would happily try any new franchise to see what it has to offer. I think a big thing that not many people talk about, however, is the licensing that EA has.
No one wants to play with Man Red and Man Blue instead of Manchester United and Manchester City. Any studio building a football game wanting to rival EA's franchise simply HAS to offer a much better gaming experience, or they have no chance.
I believe that EA are fully aware of this, and that is why they have invested hundreds of millions into purchasing these licenses (most of them exclusively) because it truly makes a massive difference."
Last but not least, I would just like to get your thoughts on the future of EA FC and FIFA. It's often easy to focus on the negatives, but this game undoubtedly has so much potential. As an avid and loyal fan of the franchise, what do you hope to see from it moving forward, and what would your message be to those within the community who perhaps carry doubts about its direction?
"As someone who has worked with EA directly and has had conversations with developers, I know they have a burning passion for their game. Everyone wants it to be as good as it can be and to truly unlock its full potential!
It comes down to the usual things, money and time. I have personally seen a shift in the last few months, there have been some major improvements behind the scenes - I can vouch for that but can't go into too much detail. The current game will get better.
FC 25 will have new features and improvements to current ones. These things take time, and it will require a bit of patience. The future is bright, and it's easy to look past the positives of this fantastic franchise. I am eternally grateful for the FIFA titles that quite simply changed my career (and life to be honest!) and I will continue playing regardless if I am creating content or not."
That brings us to the end of our interview with MGH, who is feeling cautiously optimistic about EA FC. We look forward to finding out more about the new features coming to future titles, including possible enhancements to the Youth Academy in Career Mode.
We thank Matt for taking the time to speak to us and wish him all the best for what lies ahead. If you haven't already, be sure to subscribe to the MGH YouTube channel here.
Want to join in on the discussion? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!
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