Goal attended an exclusive preview event in Berlin where the changes for Ultimate Team were revealed. These are the six changes we’re most excited about.
Stress-free FUT
As well as the usual ways to play FUT, players can now face off against friends or the AI on the couch, as well as go online to play against friends in FUT Friendlies.
FUT Friendlies will have no effect on a player’s team’s contracts or fitness, making it totally separate from the more competitive modes. FUT Friendlies also has a number of new game modes, similar to House Rules found in FIFA 19. Which brings us on nicely to…
New fun FUT modes
EA Sports has realised that playing lots of FUT can be stressful. So, it has brought new modes to FUT that will help players relax in more casual games.
‘King of the Hill’ is a new friendly mode in which players are encouraged to keep hold of the ball in certain areas of the pitch. The longer they do so, the more the goal multiplier increases before the player has an attempt on goal.
‘Mystery ball’ is probably the craziest new mode. The core mechanic is that each time the ball goes out of play it comes back with a boost added that benefits the player on the ball. These boosts include improvements to a player’s pace, dribbling, shooting and also a goal bonus.
‘Maximum chemistry’ removes all chemistry, leaving players able to build dream teams without needing to worry about the connections between the players.
Lastly, ‘swaps’ will take three players from each team and swap them – meaning players will have to adapt to their new additions and add a degree of risk as you hope your Gullit Icon card isn’t heading to your opponent’s team.
EA Sports
Season Objectives
There will be more ways to win cards, packs and other rewards in Ultimate Team on FIFA 20. Building on daily and weekly objectives found in FIFA 19, season objectives will last longer (six to eight weeks was suggested) and include grouped challenges.
During the preview event, an example was given whereby to unlock a loan Eden Hazard card, a player had to first complete a number of themed challenges linked to Hazard’s career, similar to Squad Building Challenges.
XP comes to FUT
While you’re completing season objectives and other challenges, players will earn FUT XP in a similar way to how XP was earned in games like Call of Duty. The earned XP builds through the season, unlocking more rewards along the way.
Milestone Rewards
In another nod to Call of Duty, milestones will be another way to win FUT rewards. Based upon in-game accomplishments, such as scoring a number of headers, goals with Brazilian players etc.
The rewards from milestones will be ‘bragging rights’ items rather than FUT packs, giving players ways to show they’ve hit the milestones, including kits, balls and other cosmetic items.
More customisation
More club items will be available in FUT on FIFA 20 with exclusive items tied to milestone rewards. While the usual balls, kits, stadiums and badges remain, they are joined by tifos, custom FUT celebrations and stadium themes which change the flags, ad boards and other brandable parts of the stadium.
During the preview event examples of these cosmetic items were shown, including a dabbing unicorn theme and 16-bit gaming theme, reminiscent of the very first FIFA video game.
Tifos and celebrations will only be available through milestones and won’t be available in packs, and FIFA 20 will be the first FIFA game to allow players to use unlicensed badges.