The FIFA franchise is one of the most popular video game franchises in the world - bettered only by Call of Duty, Mario and Pokemon as a worldwide bestseller - and that means there is a lot pressure on EA Sports to follow up with an improvement each year.
Games developers must always be on their toes in a creative and technical sense in order to keep the customer satisfied with annual new releases, working in tandem with the creators of consoles, such as Sony and Microsoft.
This year, the two giants behind PlayStation and Xbox are launching their latest next generation machines, with excitement building in the gaming community regarding the various specs and what sort gameplay improvements are in store.
Goal takes a look at whether the next FIFA title - FIFA 21 - will be on the next-gen consoles, how much it's likely to cost and more.
Will FIFA 21 be on PS5 & Xbox Series X?
FIFA 21 and will be one of the first games to be released on PS5 and Xbox Series X.
Indeed, the world premiere of the Xbox Series X featured two prominent depictions of a football game which looked very much like FIFA (albeit without official branding) to promote the new console.
However, it is not yet known when exactly it will be available on the next generation consoles.
FIFA 21 will launch on PS4 and Xbox One on October 9 so the new game is expected to land on other consoles before the PS5 and Xbox Series X become available to buy.
That means FIFA 21 will probably be available for PS4 and Xbox One first, before being rolled out as a launch title for the new hardware.
When will FIFA 21 be released?
The official release date of FIFA 21 has been confirmed, hitting shelves on October 9, 2020.
Eager gamers can get their hands on the new title a few days earlier than the global launch date by pre-ordering and availing of early access - this year early access arrives on October 6.
Due to the release of FIFA 21 on PS4 and Xbox One before the launches of the PS5 and Xbox Series X, anyone who has purchased the game on the current generation of consoles will be able to download a free copy of FIFA 21 on the new generation through the 'Dual Entitlement' promotion.
Dual Entitlement enables you to upgrade your copy of FIFA 21 on PS4 to PS5 or from Xbox One to Xbox Series X at no extra cost. All progress made in FIFA 21 Ultimate Team and VOLTA will be transferred across to the new console.
How much will FIFA 21 cost?
The price of the standard edition of FIFA 20 upon release was £60 in the United Kingdom and $60 in the United States, so it is not much of a stretch to imagine FIFA 21 will cost around the same.
However, it is possible that the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions of the game will cost a little more than the corresponding versions for the PS4 and Xbox One.
It is also worth remembering that, of the three editions of FIFA 20, the most expensive - Ultimate Edition - retailed at a price of £90 in the UK and $100 in the US.
While price changes are not unusual, it would be odd if EA Sports suddenly hiked their pricing plan for their new FIFA title, particularly - thanks to the coronavirus - in a climate of impending economic strife.
Microsoft / Xbox
When will PS5 & Xbox Series X be launched?
Both the PS5 and Xbox Series X are slated to be launched in "Holiday 2020" , which means some time in October, November or December - the traditional holiday season of Thanksgiving and Christmas in the US.
The window of October, November and December is ideally placed from a marketing perspective, with promotional pushes happening in abundance in the lead up to Christmas, when many people purchase gifts.
How much will the PS5 and Xbox Series X cost?
It is not fully clear yet how much the PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles will cost when they are released into the market, but the price of their predecessors on introduction is a good indicator.
Reports on various gaming websites and forums suggest that the consoles will initially be sold at a price of $500 or £500, which roughly tallies with the original price tag of the PS4 and Xbox One.
Back in 2013, Sony notably undercut their competitors Microsoft by selling their PS4 product at a cheaper price of $400, though it remains to be seen if such a tactic will be employed again.