FIFA 21 Ultimate Team: Beta, ICONs, Co-Op FUT, Weekend League, more

Erling Haaland and Joao Felix in FIFAEA SPORTS

EA SPORTS have unveiled a shed load of new FIFA 21 details for Ultimate Team, and it looks like one of the biggest years in the game mode’s long history is upon us. 

Excitement has been building in the game’s online community for weeks, ever since the June 19 EA Play event. Here, we first got a look at how cover star Kylian Mbappe would look on next-gen engines, as well as a closer look at Liverpool.

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Since that time, developers have released a new reveal trailer alongside a big batch of fresh information. Everything from the first ICON to big feature changes have been teased already, so let’s jump right into the action.

There is a lot to unpack.

Contents

FIFA 21 reveal trailer

On July 23, EA SPORTS revealed the game’s first major trailer and it featured a whole host of different hidden clues. It moves by fast, though, so many of those teasers can actually be missed at a glance.

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Kylian Mbappe, the global cover star for the game, features heavily during the promo video. Career Mode, Volta, and other features can also be seen, but we’re here to talk about Ultimate Team.

How to get FIFA 21 Ultimate Team beta

Kylian Mbappe in FIFA Ultimate TeamEA SPORTS
Players can’t wait to be dribbling past defenders in FIFA 21 Ultimate Team.

As many players will be aware by now, the closed beta for FIFA 21 can be accessed by just a few players. These will receive emails inviting them to play the game mode early, although often beta keys will also be set up exclusively for Career or Pro Clubs instead.

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When accessed, the beta will allow players to try out the different features that have been incorporated in the title. That said, it often changes quite dramatically post-beta. So while it does give a flavor of what’s on offer, the official release will be the time we can all sit down and play the game properly.

FUT 21 in EA Access

Eden Hazard in FIFA 21EA SPORTS
Eden Hazard and Real Madrid will be available to play with in EA Access. If you’re lucky, you might pack him in Ultimate Team too.

The game will be arriving on early access, just like any other year. In order to get it for 10 hours and a few days before everyone else, all you have to do is sign up for an EA Access subscription.

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The release date for FIFA 21 EA Access on Xbox One, PC, and PlayStation 4 is reportedly October 1, 2020. Next-gen versions will be released later, once the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 consoles have been released.

FIFA 21 confirmed ICONs and possible picks

Eric Cantona in FIFA 21EA SPORTS
Eric Cantona was unveiled as part of the FIFA 21 trailer.

If you’re wondering about which ICONs will be added to the mix this year, look no further than the reveal trailer. There, we got our first look at the game’s next major addition and it was none other than Manchester United’s former striker Eric Cantona.

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Cantona was heralded by many of his former teammates as a real game-changer at Old Trafford, elevating the club to new heights under Sir Alex Ferguson. In the next game, he’ll be one of the legends included.

Aside from that, there’s been no other word from EA on ICONs. Rumors have been circulating about the possibility of seeing Samuel Eto’o, Tim Cahill, and Robin Van Persie added to the mix, although nothing has been confirmed as of yet. We’ve even put together a few predictions, too.

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FUT Co-Op coming for FIFA 21 Squad Battles and Division Rivals

Chelsea and Manchester City in FIFA 21EA SPORTS
Players will be able to come together to earn collective FUT rewards in Co-Op mode.

There’s always new mini-game modes inside Ultimate Team released each year, and that’s been a trend ever since FUT Champs was created. This year, it looks like we’re getting a co-operative version of Ultimate Team, which is something we’ve never seen before.

In an official statement, EA have confirmed: “FUT Co-Op lets you team up with a friend and compete for rewards. Join forces in both Division Rivals and Squad Battles to earn weekly progress, and work towards brand new Co-Op Objectives that reward playing together beyond winning on the pitch.”

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More customization coming in FIFA 21 Ultimate Team

They also confirmed, in the same package of details, that further customization would be available in FUT 21. What this means right now is unknown, although later in August we’re expecting to get more insight.

“Make your FUT Club truly unique with a range of new and expanded ways to customize your team’s look both on the pitch and in the stands.”

FUT 21 Ambassadors have been revealed

Trent Alexander-Arnold in FIFA 21EA SPORTS
Alexander-Arnold is just one of three new FUT 21 Ambassadors.

Once the live YouTube page opened up on EA SPORTS FIFA’s official channel, players were quick to hit ‘View Page Source’ on the link.

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Erling Haaland, Joao Felix, and Trent Alexander-Arnold were mentioned in the source code.

Since that time, it’s been confirmed that these will be the three FUT 21 Ambassadors. Therefore, each will feature right across the game’s loading screens and on packs.

FIFA 21 Ultimate Team FUT Champions/Weekend League

FUT Champs in FIFA 20EA SPORTS
All eyes will be on EA in the next few weeks, with players expecting FUT Champs changes.

Now that we know Squad Battles and Division Rivals will be given a shakeup, it may come as a surprise to see nothing has been mentioned about the mode’s most competitive weekly competition.

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With EA confirming Career Mode, Ultimate Team, Volta, and Pro Clubs are experiencing some of their biggest updates to date, it seems unlikely that FUT Champs wouldn’t get a revamp of some sort.

We don’t have official details just yet, although the Ultimate Team reveal in August may give us further insight here.

FIFA content schedule

FIFA 21's content scheduleEA SPORTS
Here is the game’s content schedule for before release.

In the weeks running up to the game’s release date, there’s a series of online announcements for each game mode.

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These include the following:

  • Career Mode
  • Volta Football
  • Pro Clubs
  • FIFA 21 Ultimate Team

There will also be an event dedicated to gameplay as well, which should lift the lid on different tweaks that have been made to set pieces, counter attacks, passing, dribbling, tactics, and more. Watch this space, where they are all concerned.


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