EA Play has revealed that a number of EA titles will allow cross-platform play.
However, cross-platform is yet to be confirmed for FIFA 21, so will we see it come October?
EA Play
The EA Play event was our first look at FIFA 21, but cross-platform play remains unconfirmed.
Other EA titles like Apex Legends, Star Wars: Squadrons and the new 'Skate' will all have cross-platform enabled game modes.
This shows that EA are willing to make the change, but will they introduce it to the FIFA franchise this year?
FIFA 21 Cross Platform
At the moment, FIFA 20 players are only able to play with and against those on their own hardware.
WORLDWIDE POWER: Cross platform means more opponents to flash your skill against
One of the barriers EA will have to overcome is the Ultimate Team marketplace. PS4, Xbox, and PC all have their own market place with wildly different prices for the same card.
A common marketplace for FUT would help to create a more harmonious community while the expanded player pool could create improvements for competitive and casual players alike.
Other cross-platform successes
While cross-platform content is popular and exciting, there are some issues that can come up. For starters, players with different equipment often have different levels of advantage. While this is more true for shooting games on pc, there's still a level of difference between pc and console, and further between each console themselves.
But cross platform has been done before, and been done well. Some of the more notable games to pull it off is Fortnite, Rocket League, and SMITE.
Of these games Rocket League is the most comparable to FIFA, but FIFA does have some distinct differences when it comes to competition and depth of play.
FIFA 21 next-gen
With both the PS5 and Xbox Series X boasting impressive specs that will help bridge the gap to the PC Master Race, it is looking more and more possible that cross platform play will be possible on next gen consoles.
NEXT GEN: The future is coming
Both the new PlayStation and Xbox are expected to hit during the 2020 holiday period, with some speculation that they will arrive in late November.
This means FIFA 21 will first be available on the current generation of consoles, PS4 & Xbox One, which limits the scope of cross platform play on release.
READ MORE: Everything we know about FIFA 21 on PlayStation 5
Still, with more and more games offering it, it's surely only a matter of time until FIFA players can do the same.
Backwards compatibility
The trouble that a lot of games will have this year, is that the audience will be fragmented between four consoles.
With two new platforms arriving thanks to next gen, it means that there will not be a huge FIFA 21 audience when PS5 and Xbox Series X launch.
GOING BACK - Could PS5 players face off against PS4 players on FIFA 21?
What EA could do to defeat this problem is to allow PlayStation players on both PS4 and PS5 to play against each other (and the same for the Xbox equivalents).
If they do, we'll be one step closer to cross platform play in the FIFA series.
FIFA 21 Player Rating Predictions
The following players are who we expect to be the top five rated players in FIFA 21 and their predicted ratings.
Lionel Messi (OVR 93)
No prizes for guessing who we predict as the number one man on FIFA 21 – it’s got be the footballing phenomenon that is Lionel Messi.
READ MORE: Everything we know about FIFA 21 Ultimate Team
Messi has produced 13 goals and six assists in 14 games in the La Liga so far this season and recently won the ballon d’Or. However, due to his age and his lack of European success recently we expect his overall rating to drop to 93.
Cristiano Ronaldo (OVR 92)
For years, Messi and Ronaldo have been battling out for top spot. It’s fair to say that the two of them have been in a league of their own in the footballing world, but now others are catching up.
The Portuguese forward has smashed in 14 Serie A goals so far this season, but will be 35 years old by the time FIFA 21 comes out! Unless Juve win the Champions League, we can’t see Ronaldo getting above a 92 rating.
Kevin De Bruyne (OVR 92)
As all Premier League fans have been witness to this season, Kevin De Bruyne has been utterly outstanding in his most recent Man City campaign.
Guardiola’s squad have fallen short of Liverpool this season, and we dread to think how much bigger that gap would be if they didn’t have KDB. 92 overall would be a fair reflection of the Belgian’s talent.
Neymar (OVR 92)
The Brazilian is probably in the prime of his footballing career – 12 goals and six assists in 14 appearances so far this season and it looks like Neymar fancies a move back to Barcelona.
READ MORE: What new FUT Icons could we see on FIFA 21?
Therefore, FIFA 21 will likely see the winger retain his 92 overall rating, but could we see a change of club?
Virgil van Dijk (OVR 91)
It’s not often that a centre back is hailed as a world class team’s best player – enter Virgil van Dijk. The Dutchman has been an unbreakable force at the back for Liverpool, as they sail ahead in the Premier League.
Van Dijk probably deserves to be rated higher than 91 overall, but having been rated 90 last year, it’s unlikely he’ll jump to the lofty heights of 92.
To read everything about FIFA 21, including release date, cover star, trailer, Career mode, Ultimate Team and more, head here.