FIFA 18: Release Date, Best New Features and Cover

After a long summer waiting between seasons, FIFA 18 is set to arrive on console and PC on Friday, September 29, as the cycle to find the most talented players around begins anew.

The trading card-based Ultimate Team mode returns alongside revamped versions of The Journey and career mode, two of the other most popular reasons for purchasing the game.

EA Sports' latest FIFA release has once again been modelled on the Frosbite game engine and will be available on the Nintendo Switch for the first time, as well as PS4 and Xbox One.

The game is also set for release on PS3 and Xbox 360, though those earlier consoles cannot accommodate Frosbite technology and, as a result, are missing certain aspects of the game, such as The Journey: Hunter Returns.

Read on for discussion of features new to the latest game release, as well as this year's cover star.

New Features

It's little surprise EA Sports has gone with Real Madrid maestro Cristiano Ronaldo as its FIFA 18 cover star of choice given the success he's had over the past year and since the release of the previous game.

Borussia Dortmund's Marco Reus made the front of FIFA 17, but after leading Real to the La Liga title and the UEFA Champions League in 2016-17, Ronaldo is back in the position of power:

As for upgrades, fans can expect to see game graphics improved once again while gameplay is set to benefit from the introduction of a new animation system called Real Player Motion Technology.

As explained on the EA Sports website: "The all-new animation system unlocks the next level of responsiveness, and player personality—now Cristiano Ronaldo and other top players feel and move exactly like they do on the real pitch."

This new twist on the dribbling mechanics was recently nominated by video game website IGN as one of the main things to look forward to on FIFA 18, promising a more fluid functionality when you're in possession:

The Telegraph's Tom Hoggins also recently explored how career mode has been remodelled with new features, such as being able to appear in transfer negotiations with a player you've targeted for transfer.

One feature that was also previously exclusive to Xbox One users but will now become available to PS4 is the inclusion of FIFA Icons. Stars of old such as Pele, Ronaldinho and Franz Beckenbauer will all soon be available on both platforms:

Some elite teams and players will also showcase styles of their own, such as Ronaldo's unique running or free-kick techniques, or Barcelona's constant passing tactics or even Atletico Madrid's fast counter-press.

All that and more awaits on FIFA 18, which has all the tools necessary to be the best release of its kind to date.