FIFA 20: Demo Review, Career Mode, Release Date, Volta Football, FUT Web App, Pre-Order, New Icons, Ultimate Team and more

The appetite for FIFA 20 is well and truly growing now that the demo has dropped, and you can expect more announcements on their way. Here is everything we at RealSport know about the game so far.

Over the past few weeks, news has finally dropped regarding the biggest changes we have seen in FIFA Career Mode in over a decade, the Cover Stars have been revealed, Volta News and fresh updates to Ultimate Team. In addition to all of this, the FIFA 20 Beta has dropped. EA revealed the latest legend coming to Ultimate Team is none other than Ghanaian midfielder, Michael Essien.

EA has also announced the release of the FUT Web App on September 18th, 2019. The web app is used to buy and sell players on the transfer market, open FUT packs and build your squads.

Release Date

EA Sports are very consistent with their release dates, and once again the final Friday in September will mark the full release of FIFA 20. This year, that will be Friday, 27 September 2019, but we can expect some form of early access too.

The Standard Edition – fronted by Eden Hazard – costs £54.99 on PC and £59.99 on PS4 and Xbox One.

By pre-ordering you will receive up to three FIFA 20 Ultimate Team rare gold packs (one per week for three weeks), choose one of five mid-version ICON items for five FUT matches and special Edition FUT Kits.

Early Access

That release date only applies to the Standard Edition, however. Both the Champions & Ultimate Editions of the game are available three days earlier on September 24.

The Champions Edition, with Champions League winner Virgil van Dijk on the cover, is priced at £69.99 on PC and £79.99 on PS4 and Xbox One, and it will get you up to 12 FIFA 20 Ultimate Team rare gold packs (one per week for 12 weeks) as well as the three days early access.

Lastly, the Ultimate Edition, complete with cover star Zinedine Zidane, will set you back £79.99 on PC and £89.99 on PS4 and Xbox One. It comes with an untradeable FUT 20 Ones To Watch player item and up to 24 FIFA 20 Ultimate Team rare gold packs (two per week for 12 weeks).

Those who sign up to EA Access get eight hours of gameplay around one week before the game comes out, and this year that will be eight days early from September 19.

The demo for the game is now available, a little earlier than expected. Expect similar teams to last year, where we had Manchester City, Tottenham, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Roma, Borussia Dortmund and PSG to choose from.

Bayern Munich, Juventus and Manchester United have all signed deals with rivals PES 2020 so they will not return on the demo, but Liverpool have done the opposite, so expect the Reds to be on there.

READ MORE: All you need to know about the FIFA 20 Demo

First FIFA 20 Trailer

The first trailer for FIFA 20 dropped during EA Play at E3, and it revealed the huge new feature Volta Football.

A few other aspects that were announced during the EA Play Stream included enhanced dribbling, improved 1v1s and overhauled free kicks and penalties.

Volta Football

EA Sports recently released a trailer showcasing over 17 locations around the world including Tokyo, Amsterdam, Barcelona and London.

The community have been calling for a street mode on FIFA or a return to FIFA Street for some time, with the Journey teasing street-esque football in recent years. Well, the prayers have been answered with Volta Football arriving for FIFA 20.

Volta, meaning 'tempo' in Italian, takes FIFA back to the streets, with the mode enabling games to play 3v3, 4v4 and 5v5 matches, with or without goalkeepers.

Expect all the skill, close control and use of the walls of the cage, with even a futsal arena a venue option. The new strafe dribbling mechanic is a key feature for both Volta and out on the grass pitch, so you will have plenty of fun skinning defenders.

You can create your own male or female character, play online and there is a new Volta Story which replaces The Journey.

New controls, cameras and outfits are just the tip if the iceberg, and it is the one huge spelling point FIFA has above rival PES 2020 this year.

Volta Football is a great addition, although it will not feature on Nintendo Switch. After FUT Division Rivals didn't feature on Switch last year, EA need be careful not to upset a passionate community. Let's hope that changes for FIFA 21.

Simplified Rules

In Volta Football there are no substitutions, offsides, injuries, yellow or red cards, or even fatigue/stamina.

Match Types

The various match types offers a different element and creates a variety of situations different to the 11-a-side game.

READ MORE: Will PES 2020 end the FIFA snobbery?

The match type breakdowns are:

Rush Keepers: played in 3v3 and 4v4, Rush is the street mode without Goalkeepers and with small goals, where each player is expected to contribute to all aspects of the game, be it scoring or blocking a shot.

Street with Keepers: played in 4v4 and 5v5, is the street mode with Goalkeepers and Futsal-sized goals, which combines the safety of a goalkeeper with the bespoke rules and personality of the street.

Futsal is a 5-a-side experience with more authentic rules, referees, and a more structured type of play. The formations available are the same as 5v5 street with keepers.

Environments

Besides match types, each environment can be customised and provides interesting variations to fixtures.

Players can play matches with Walls or No Walls, and pick between various pitch sizes.

Specific Rules

Volta Football gameplay has unique rules depending on the circumstances of the match. You can combine the rules below, creating very interesting match types.

Small-sided matches are quick and fun, with each half being only 3 minutes of real-time playing. The timer only goes down when the ball is in play and each extra-time half is 1 minute of real-time play.

Volta gameplay has a wide variety of new mechanics and details to make it feel fresh and unique.

Movement and Dynamics

Various formations and mentalities affect how your players move and behave inside the pitch.

Movement is free-flowing, with players being expected to contribute to most areas of play, be it defensive or offensive. This is especially true in Rush matches, where everyone is expected to be able to score as well as block shots on goal.

Custom Ball Physics

A new ball has been created for Volta with a different size and weight than the regular game. This small-sided ball rolls more and bounces much less than a full-sized ball.

Build Your Player

From height and facial features to tattoos and hairstyles create your male or female player with ease and take them across various modes in FIFA 20 using the new Avatar system.

Get the traditional athletic look, deck yourself out with the latest streetwear, or break boundaries as you find yours and your squad’s perfect style. Switch it up with limited-time item drops to create unique outfits using the Volta Shop.

Take your Avatar onto the street and express your style to the world throughout Volta Football's range of modes.

Complete matches to increase your player’s rating and earn skill points. Max out various traits to earn titles that show off your gameplay personality to the world.

Play it Your Way

Lead you squad in the Volta Tour, guide your avatar through Volta Story Mode, play with your squad in the online VOLTA League, or take your favourite professional teams to the streets in Volta Kick-off.

Take your Avatar across the world and face off against various real-world legends of street football. Build your squad and recruit players as you aim to win the ultimate prize: The Volta Football World Championship in Buenos Aires.

Online Volta

Play your way through promotion and relegation against other players with the online VOLTA League, where wins lead to promotion into a higher division.

What about Pro Clubs?

After years of neglect, you'll be relieved to hear that Pro Clubs finally gets a reform for FIFA 20.

First up, greater physical customisation of your Pro.

EA are replacing the old model with a universal system across the new game – including Pro Clubs.

This feature will bring new ways to design your Virtual Pro’s visual characteristics via an improved morphing tool which allows you to morph and define each facial feature to your liking, and also goes further than ever with added morphing options and skin tones.

This new system also maintains all the features from the previous Virtual Pro system – from commentary name to updated goalkeeper gloves to setting your preferred celebration/set piece styles.

Broadcast features such as replay transition wipes, an on-screen watermark, club banners and a new Pro Clubs logo also come in this year.

Losing Juventus

EA Sports has announced the end of the partnership between its FIFA series and Juventus, due to Juve's partnership with PES 2020. What does it mean for FIFA 20 and FIFA Mobile Seasons?

Well, EA in a recent blog post answered exactly that.

Piemonte Calcio will be a new playable team in FIFA 20 with a custom badge and kit throughout Kick-Off, Career Mode, and EA SPORTS Volta Football.
Piemonte Calcio will use real-world, authentic players and their likenesses in FIFA 20 and FIFA 20 Ultimate Team.
Piemonte Calcio players’ Chemistry within FIFA 20 Ultimate Team is unaffected by these changes.

Gameplay

The introduction of Volta Football means there will be an emphasis on close control, and this has been added in the form of the strafe dribbling mechanic. This enables the attacker to move with more agility than ever to lure your opponent in before beating them with speed or skill.

Strafe dribbling is just one component of what EA have labelled as Decisive Moments. With these new attacking skills, controlled tackling will bolster the defence, providing more intelligent tackling which increases the chance of winning the ball back. For instance, the defender directing the tackle towards a teammate to ensure they regain the ball.

L1/LB for Strafe Dribble

L1+R1/LB+RB for Strafe Dribble (lock face angle)

Timed finishing is as brilliant as it is frustrating. We all love to see a ball fly into the top corner from 25 yards, but when it happens again and again, the magic is lost. It has now been adjusted, with Composed finishing ensuring one-on-ones are easier, and volleyed efforts are more difficult.

New shot trajectories will see shots dip, fade and swerve to add even more realism, as part of the new ball physics for FIFA 20.

Football Informed Motion introduces more authentic ball spins and bounces, which will also play in a big role in all the different venues available in Volta as well.

There is now also Natural Player Motion creating sharper movement and more intelligent positioning, with AI players moving in a more natural and composed fashion and potentially opening up space for their teammates.

Goalkeeper movement is another aspect that has faced much criticism, with it being highly unrealistic. Have you ever seen a goalkeeper run across his goal as the striker shoots to gather the ball in his arms? This is now being reduced, as well as the superhuman reactions from one-on-ones.

Free kicks are incredibly difficult to score on FIFA 19, and penalties have been even more of a lottery than they are in real life. A new set piece refresh will show a circular target of where shot is going, providing a clearer indication of where you are aiming.

The new Free Kick System is divided into five aspects: Aim, Position, Power, Spin and Timing.

Aim: The first step was the new aiming mechanic. The aim now works with a reticle displayed on the goal, and players can use their pad to choose where to aim their free kick.
Position: Instead of stepping slowly around the ball and moving to different start positions, pressing the Right-Stick to the left or right will now move the player between pre-defined positions (Wide, Normal, Straight). Each position gives a certain bonus to your shot, with Wide giving an increased amount of spin and Straight providing an increase in spin for outside of the foot shots. Normal is a balance between both.
Power: With shot elevation being determined by the aiming reticle, shot power now determines the shot trajectory. A low power shot will be more akin to a finesse shot (loopy), while a high power shot will be more driven and direct. Aiming towards the bottom of the net will also prioritise driven shots, allowing players to shoot under the wall.

Spin: After powering your shot, and during the run up before contact, players can apply spin to the ball. To apply different spins, you need to perform gestures using the Right-Stick as displayed below. The speed and accuracy of the gesture will determine how much spin is added to the ball.
Timing: players can also use the Timed Finishing mechanic in the new Free Kick system, allowing you to attempt to press the button right at the moment of the contact of the shot. If successful, this will reduce the amount of error, and increase the amount of spin applied to the shot. If not successful, it will dramatically increase the amount of error applied to the shot.
Penalty Kicks have also been improved, using the same Aim, Power and Timing mechanics as Free Kicks. The big difference is that there is no adjustment to the starting position and no spin control on the Right-Stick. Unlike Free Kicks however, players can continue to change the aim of the kick throughout the run up, allowing for last second adjustments.

Animations for kicks and shots for both Free Kicks and Penalties have been improved as well as new star-player run ups and animations, but the wall creep has been removed.

House rules were a great addition for FIFA 19, and more are coming to FIFA 20. Mystery ball boosts stats of the attacking team, whilst King of the Hill improves the worth of the next goal depending on how long you can keep the ball in a particular area of the field.

Career Mode

After months of speculation, news has finally dropped about the biggest changes we have seen in FIFA Career Mode for a decade.

In FIFA 20, expect a far more bespoke experience as you take charge of your club and look to take on the world.

Customisable Manager

For the first time, you will be able to create your customisable manager. This includes, body type, skin tone, clothing and hairstyles.

What's more, for the first time ever, you will also be able to have a female manager.

Face the Media

Every decision you make in FIFA 20 Career mode will have a consequence.

From press conferences to squad rotation, the choices you make will have a direct impact on your team's morale and performances.

Inspire your team with the answers you give in new interactive press conferences before and after key moments in your season.

Managing Morale

From rotating your starting 11 to shortlisting transfer targets and managing wage expectations, every choice you make affects your squads morale, form and even their OVR ratings.

Player conversations

Keep your team spirit and manager rating high by discussing your player's concerns and solving their problems in one-to-one sessions.

Dynamic Player Potential

Take control of your player's potential OVR with Dynamic Player Potential. The better they play on the pitch, the higher their Player Potential will grow.

League-specific themes

The authentic branding of the Premier League, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, La Liga, MLS, Champions League and the Europa League will appear through the dynamic UI in Career mode.

Live News Screenshots

See your best moments represented in the Career Mode News Feed, with live news screenshots that highlight the memorable moments from the matches you play.

Ultimate Team

Ultimate Team is the most popular mode in FIFA, but players are still frustrated by the imbalance of purchasing packs from the FUT store, and what you actually get in return. FIFA’s in-game currency has been banned in Belgium due to it breaching gambling laws, defining it as an “illegal game of chance”. It has been shown that the chances of getting an 84+ rated card is just 4.4% in a premium gold pack.

Take your FUT team into new House Rules in FUT Friendlies on FIFA 20 a new and more social way to play against your mates and the FUT community. House rules will also come to Ultimate Team. 'Max Chemistry' - where every player has maximum chemistry regardless of positioning, nationality and league and 'Swaps' - where three players swap teams at random.

New Icons come to FIFA 20 Ultimate Team and players will be able to play with juiced-up versions of Zinedine Zidane, Didier Drogba, Andrea Pirlo, Ian Wright and Ronald Koeman for the first time. A further nine Icons are yet to be announced.

Special card items can now be rewarded after completing tasks related to the special card in-game thanks to improved Season Objectives. For a OTW Jovic you would need to score with a Serbian player, and score a certain amount of finesse shots along with other tasks before you can receive your reward.

With Milestone objectives, smashing your opponent 5-0 will now mean more as every type of goal can contribute to rewards in the long run. You can then show off your rewards in-game with special cards such as a 16-bit ball and many more items.

Get rewarded for Milestone moments in your FUT Club’s journey with long-term goals to aim for throughout the season. From players to packs to new club customisation options, upgrade your club with different rewards all season long. EA will make sure there are different rewards so that completing the objectives never feel boring.

The Journey

Following on from The Journey, it's time for your avatar became the protagonist. This time however, it is part of the new mode Volta Story.

The story will take you through the Volta World, playing matches against various opponents from street football legends, to the diverse and unique players based on community generated Avatars and squads, to professional footballers.

You’ll build your squad in the hopes of being invited to the Volta World Championships in Buenos Aires for a chance to win the ultimate small-sided prize.

You can create create your avatar, recruit new players, build squads, travel to cool playable environments, face "legends of the street" and compete for special rewards in Volta Skillers - where FIFA's skill games come to Volta.

Anything else?

For FIFA 19, La Liga followed suit of the Premier League by 16 stadiums and over 200 player arriving on the game.

Licenses for the Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1 are already obtained, but it’s time to add more depth and realism to the game. Those three leagues combined have just 11 stadiums between them, something that EA should look to improve.

More news is coming on FIFA 20 in The Pitch Notes over the next couple of months. Keep tuned to RealSport for more news in the build up to the new release.

What do you want to see on FIFA 20?
1. Sort out the gameplay
2. More detailed Career Mode
3. Justice in Ultimate Team packs!
4. A new Journey
5. Customisable features
6. Other (comment below)
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