FIFA 20 career mode: New features and possible highest potential players
Every year upon the new release of the latest version of FIFA by EA Sports, players around the world wait to see if there have been any changes made to Career Mode.
It is an area EA have come under a lot of criticism for in recent years, as no major alterations had been made recently even though it was in need of a major face-lift.
At first glance, it appears this year, prayers have been answered and new content is coming - but what are these announced new features?
It seems that EA Sports and the team working on Career Mode for FIFA 20, have identified the community had grown frustrated with the lack of thought given to improving the mode.
The introduction of new user-led press conferences and player conversations, are one of many ways they hope to make it stand out next to the likes of Football Manager.
Press Conferences and Player Conversations
This feature is something that has been in the game since FIFA 18, but only within the Journey game mode based around fictional footballer Alex Hunter - where you as a player were actively involved in life decisions, forming Hunter's personality which affected the type of player he was.
However, the feature has been reimagined for Career Mode to add to the build up to a game, as well as post-match.
It seems, looking at EA Sports' 'pitch notes' surrounding the new features, a manager will be able to actively answer questions in press conferences using pre-set emotional responses such as praise, criticise or motivate, which will trigger an answer within the game mechanics.
Another feature is the importance of player morale - which will be heavily linked to the response you give in a press conference. So far EA Sports can't be faulted for their authentic approach.
FIFA have promised fans this feature will always feel dynamic and authentic, with the addition of pushy journalists who will implement questions that attempt to provoke certain situations based upon results, goals and form of players and the overall team.
EA SPORTS on the new Press Conferance game mechanic:
'Our vision was to breathe new life into manager career mode by building up a variation of ever-changing stories that would surface through pre and post match interviews.
'They aren't just there to mimic authenticity, but built based off of player progress and result in influencing player morale as well as the standing of the manager in that team.'
The role of player conversations will act in a fashion allowing FIFA gamers to witness on-screen conversations, mainly between a manager and player or a captain to a fellow teammate, in a text style format as if you were reading your club's WhatsApp group messages.
This feature will allow you to select a response out of three options again each emphasising a different emotion, which will effect morale of that player.
Player Morale System
As briefly mentioned above, this new feature is the best of the additions EA Sports have added to the FIFA 20 Career Mode experience, as it is the tool that drives everything else.
Morale within Career Mode is going to be a vicious circle for gamers, as everything you do affects a player and team's morale and then the overall morale will consequently affect everything that happens on the pitch and in press conferences.
In reality this is reflective of what it must be like as a manager in modern day football or any sport, where man management is key to success and being labelled as one of the best in your role.
A player's morale will be influenced by factors such as: playing time, wage demands, performance and how well the team is doing.
latest transfer news
We have seen numerous examples of morale dips in recent times, when you look at Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale as well as on-loan Barcelona man Philippe Coutinho, who have both been at the centre of transfer saga's over the summer, due to being unhappy at their club.
Whereas, on the flip side, you have players such as Raheem Sterling or Virgil van Dijk whose morale seemed through the roof coming into this season after impressive campaigns and silverware in 2018/19.
Manager Customisation
From player faces, to kits, badges and stadiums alike, the FIFA community and its content creators have been pleading with EA for a few years, trying to implement more features within the game that allow you to customise and alter items, and provide a platform for creativity.
Until now, that has only really been possible when designing a pro-player in the game mode of Pro Clubs, or when choosing a player Career Mode - never before have you been able to customise a manager.
What would you look like as a manager? Would you be rocking a club tracksuit, tailored suit, or perhaps strive to look like a 1990s boy-band reject - all these styles are available to choose from as seen above.
Adding to outfit choice, when deciding on a manager career mode you will be able to customise aesthetic components such as height, build, bone structure, skin colour, eye shape, hairstyle all the way to how big your nostrils are.
Dynamic Player Potential
This is the last of the main features to discuss, which EA have spent time perfecting for Career Mode ahead of the launch of FIFA 20 in September.
FIFA player potential has always been one of the most intriguing aspects of Career Mode, judging players future growth in terms of their overall rating, in the seasons ahead of the current one.
For example if a striker scored 20 plus goals in a season, you would expect his rating to go up for the next season, much like how FIFA Ultimate team works.
However where career mode is unique, is that players overall rating can fall if they are playing poorly, as well as age plays an impact as they experience a decline in certain attributes in game.
So with the added bonus of extreme morale fluctuation this year, player growth potential could be very different per career mode that is played, as different decisions within the season will alter how far a player will rise or fall.
FIFA 19 Highest potential players
Here is the highest possible rated starting XI of young players on FIFA 19, with the highest potential growth on the current game, it has an average age of 20 so they will be around for a long while yet.
GK: Gianluigi Donnarumma - AC Milan (20)
Base Rating: 82
Potential Rating: 93
Growth: 11
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold - Liverpool (20)
Base Rating: 78
Potential Rating: 88
Growth: 10
CB: Matthijs De Ligt - Juventus (20)
Base Rating: 80
Potential Rating: 91
Growth: 11
CB: Dayot Upamecano - RB Leipzig (20)
Base Rating: 76
Potential Rating: 88
Growth: 12
LB: Ryan Sessegnon - Tottenham (19)
Base Rating: 75
Potential Rating: 88
Growth: 13
CM: Arthur - Barcelona (23)
Base Rating: 82
Potential Rating: 90
Growth: 8
CM: Ezequiel Barco - Atlanta United (20)
Base Rating: 74
Potential Rating: 89
Growth: 15
RW: Kylian Mbappe - PSG (20)
Base Rating: 87
Potential Rating: 95
Growth: 8
CF: Marcus Rashford - Manchester United (21)
Base Rating: 81
Potential Rating: 89
Growth: 8
LW: Vinicius Junior - Real Madrid (19)
Base Rating: 77
Potential Rating: 92
Growth: 15
ST: Gabriel Jesus - Manchester City (22)
Base Rating: 83
Potential Rating: 92
Growth: 9
Looking at the team from FIFA 19, and thinking ahead to what it will be on the fast approaching new game that releases next month, there are unlikely to be too many changes to a starting XI which already boasts some of the best young talent in world football.
A few players that could have an impact are the likes of English forward Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund, Portuguese wonderkid Joao Felix and Barcelona new boy Frenkie De Jong.
Sancho signed a new lucrative contract with German side Borussia Dortmund, doubling his wages and keeping him at the club for the foreseeable future.