EA Sports can build its new project from the ground up, and that means rectifying issues that have plagued and tarnished the reputation of its former releases when they still bore the FIFA logo.

The joy of being able to create a new brand and license, even with the same developers as before, is the possibility for genuine innovation and reinvention. Whenever innovations are introduced, they usually come in the form of cosmetic features, such as transfer negotiation cutscenes or bland press conference VTs, none of which really add anything of value. As such, the latter has struggled for attention, seeing few improvements and, if anything, taking steps backward in terms of its development. Thanks to the introduction of FIFA Ultimate Team in 2008, EA Sports has gradually realized that there is far more money to be made via this hugely popular online format than there is through career mode. However, career mode has been neglected for too long, and it shows. The thrill of seeing a League 2 outfit such as Preston North End lifting the Champions League was one that never truly diminished. Introduced in 2005, career mode acted as the ultimate fantasy fulfillment, as gamers could take any side, be it Premier League titans like Manchester United or Chelsea or lower league minnows such as Kidderminster FC and shape them into all-conquering champions. One longstanding gripes among FIFA fans is the series' constant negligence of the once-great career mode.

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