As we move closer to the next generation of consoles, a growing list of games with cross-platform play is emerging. Allowing games with often small player bases to play together over different platforms allows communities to continue to play unfragmented from each other.
FIFA is a series with an enormous player base, with millions of copies on each platform selling every year and fans from around the world enjoying the likes of the ever-growing Ultimate Team (FUT) and fan-favorite career mode. While there is never a problem with a lack of players, crossplay would be an excellent option to have so that friends can play together even when they own different systems.
EA has stated that crossplay is a big focus for them as we approach the release of the Playstation 5 and the Xbox Series X, with all available games looking to implement them.
However, EA has confirmed that crossplay will not be a feature for the upcoming game, meaning that for FIFA 21, you will need to be on the same system as your friend to play together. There is also no cross-generation play, meaning that crossplay from the current PS4 and Xbox One platforms cannot play against players on the next-gen systems.
As we have seen with other games, crossplay can be implemented after release, so it may not be available at launch, but it could still be added at a later time.
It has been confirmed by the FIFA Communications Team that you will be able to transfer your progress from the PS4 to PS5, and the Xbox One to Xbox Series X, meaning you won’t have to start from scratch building up your FUT team again.
