In recent years, Ultimate Team has stormed away from Career Mode when it comes to the most popular game modes on FIFA. FUT – as it’s affectionately known by games the world over – is a truly immersive experience that is up-to-date with what’s happening in the world of real football. And while EA Sports’ flagship game mode remains the market leader, the formerly beloved career mode has fallen by the wayside.

The California-based game producer has attempted to revamp career mode in recent years. They have put plenty of emphasis on in-game scouting so that budding managers can attempt to unearth the next Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. They have also invested heavily in in-game training, so gamers can nurture their younger talents in the hopes of turning them into top stars. But the less said on transfer negotiations and those mind-numbing meme-worthy cut scenes, the better.

Ultimate Team has revolutionized the world of not just FIFA, but also video gaming as a whole. Players can purchase in-game loot boxes with real money, akin to the casino games found at https://www.ignitioncasino.eu/casino/roulette-games, and the implementation of such a system has seen EA Sports revenue grow tenfold. Other game producers have followed suit and have also integrated in-app purchases into their games.

But while FUT feels fresh and exciting, playing career mode can feel like a chore. It doesn’t half get boring as time progresses. Well, let us put an end to that. Here are three ways in which EA Sports can spruce up the once beloved career mode.

Online Career Mode

One of the biggest complaints that career mode has is that it simply gets boring playing against the AI. Despite EA Sports doing their best to ensure that teams play the same as they do in real life, the computer’s gameplay can become predictable. There are only so many times one can watch the opposition charge forward before turning back and waiting for you to tackle them before one finally gives up and loads Ultimate Team instead.

Well, that would go out of the window if you were playing online against fellow gamers the world over. We understand the logistics may well be difficult. Due to work or school commitments, not all gamers are available at the same time and thus arranging games against one another could prove to be quite difficult. But if a player is unable to play a match arranged for a specific time, they could always hand over control to the AI if necessary.

Playing against real gamers would also liven up the transfer market no end. With different gamers competing against each other to sign superstars such as Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland, the transfer market would feel almost life-like. Plus, with Ultimate Team, there are hundreds of different Mbappé and Haaland cards available on the market, but in your career mode universe, there would only be one of each, putting the pressure on managers to seal the signature of football’s top stars.

As well as that, there could be an in-game message board so that managers could boast to each other about recent victories, as well as let other players know of any injury issues they have and basically, anything that is going on in the game. It would make career mode feel real, which is what EA Sports have been striving for with the game mode for decades.

Create a Co-Op Career Mode

Yes, there is already a Co-Op mode of sorts. At present, gamers can team up with a friend and manage their favorite club. But rather than just being able to play alongside one friend, why not completely open it up to you and ten other friends – if you’re lucky enough to have that many?

What we’re thinking is something akin to what you can find in Pro Clubs. In Pro Clubs, you and up to ten other friends all play as part of a team and take on other teams from around the world in an attempt to rise through the divisions. Why not allow gamers to play for one team in career mode and attempt to dominate the world’s global sport?

As is the case in Pro Clubs, one gamer could be designated the role of manager (or captain as it is in Pro Clubs) and they can be responsible for handling team matches. But on matchday, you and all of your friends can line up in the same starting eleven as you attempt to become the best team on the planet It would certainly be a chaotic experience, but it would also be a bucket load of fun and would make a nice change to the current mundane options we have available to us at present.

Improving Club Infrastructure

If you’re a manager of a Premier League, La Liga, or Bundesliga club, you won’t have any issues with your stadium. That’s because all three of those leagues have each and every stadium fully authenticated and available to use inside FIFA. But for someone who wants to lead a club from a basement division right through to Champions League glory, you’re going to encounter problems.

Imagine taking over a League Two team such as Grimsby Town and firing them all the way to the Premier League. Imagine you have a European tie against Real Madrid on the horizon. You wouldn’t want to play against them in a shoddy old stadium, would you?

Well, as things stand, you would have to. That’s because there is currently no way to upgrade your stadium inside career mode. That needs to change as soon as possible, and allowing gamers to upgrade their stadium – as well as their training ground and youth academy – will help keep gamers interested as the years progress in the game.