FIFA 21: Release Date, Top Player Ratings, New Features, Preview and More

While it's arriving a little later than usual, hype for FIFA 21 hasn't exactly been dampened.

EA Sports' latest football offering releases globally on October 9 for current-generation consoles, with the next-generation release dates yet to be decided.

But that's a big part of the reason for the hype. The list of features in the latest game is downright exhaustive, plus players anticipate a further leap for the series when it jumps to the new consoles.

Of course, discussion about the top-rated players in the game sure doesn't hurt, either. The top of the tree is as follows:

• Lionel Messi (RW, Barcelona): 93
• Cristiano Ronaldo (ST, Piemonte Calcio): 92
• Robert Lewandowski (ST, Bayern Munich): 91
• Kevin De Bruyne (CAM, Manchester City): 91
• Neymar (LW, Paris Saint-Germain): 91

EA Sports' website has the full database of player ratings.

But the biggest hype-creator of all are the new features. One look at the attention being given to the beloved Career Mode says it all.

There, EA Sports has added new, frankly massive features. An interactive match simulation lets a player take an eagle-eye view of a match instead of just letting the computer sim it for them. Players can hop in and out of the game itself at any time.

And the addition of player "sharpness" as something to monitor brings a layer of strategy the mode had been missing. To say it pairs nicely with deeper controls over a club's schedule would classify as an understatement.

Even smaller items like the ability to train players in an effort to get them to change positions or being able to loan players before buying them is an ordeal, both in the way it adds to the mode and simply makes things more realistic.

Over in FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT), there is a wealth of new legends joining the mode, and the launch of a companion app is nothing but good news for those who like to take a deep dive on managing their clubs.

But for those who just want to spend more time on the pitch, playing with the teams they have worked hard to assemble, EA Sports has cut down on unskippable items to increase playtime. Think fewer replays and the removal of trainer items that had to deal with a metric like fitness.

Volta Football seems set to make major strides in its second year as well, with the Squads emphasis sitting as the biggest talking point.

That isn't to say the number of creative arenas, customization items and sheer arcade fun aren't a focus. But Squads makes it easier to team up with friends or other players, which is especially good news given the game throws out featured and limited-time events with rare rewards.

Add in a new player onboarding process that breaks down how the mode itself works, and Volta sounds much more complete than it was when it launched last year.

With a global superstar like Kylian Mbappe on the cover, it's only fitting that sweeping gameplay changes aim to give players more control than in the past. Agile Dribbling is the best example, serving as a modifier to let players perform more precise actions on the pitch. A developer diary explained:

"To perform Agile Dribbling, hold R1/RB while moving the Left Stick, and you will notice the dribbler moving the ball with rapid and precise touches. Every player in the game can Agile Dribble, however, the higher a player's Dribbling, Agility, Reactions, and Ball Control attributes, the quicker, more precise, and better they will be at keeping the ball at their feet."

General, broad-sweeping performance for users and A.I. players alike gets an alteration through better implementation of player ratings too, with the idea being to make the action even more realistic from a simulation standpoint.

Add in the typical annual improvements to things like collision systems, and it's clear this year's game should be another step up in the gameplay department regardless of whether players hit the pitch in FUT, Career Mode or anywhere else.