After years of being under-valued in comparison to Ultimate Team, Career Mode is finally getting what looks like a major update in FIFA 21. Whereas in past years, EA Sports seemed hesitant to give the Career Mode community important updates, FIFA 21 feels a bit like Christmas. Obviously, we'll have to wait and see how everything crosses the finish line in October. However, for now, I think it's fair to have cautious optimism. Give the trailer a watch below.

Oddly to some, the most exciting thing for FIFA 21's Career Mode additions might just be the new interactive match simulation. Last year, the team didn't even let you slowly watch your simulated games play. Instead, you just instantly got the score. Now, after years of pleading, the team has implemented a system that Madden fans will recognize.

Essentially, you can now watch a game take place as if you were a bird so far up in the sky that the players are just dots. As you assess your team's tactics in real-time, you're able to make key tactical decisions. If you're so inclined, you can even jump straight into the game. To outsiders, it might seem small, but this is a massive addition for a community that desperately wanted it.

Of course, that's not all. EA Sports has also revamped some of its player development systems. Taking a page from the PES playbook, you can select a specialized role you want a player to fit into. His new development plan will then steer him toward that role.

FIFA 21 takes it even further by finally giving you the ability to upgrade a player's skill move, weak foot, and work rate traits. For fans of career mode, this is huge. It will ensure that you can properly train young players. If you run an academy-centric career, you're dancing in the streets right now.

On top of that, you can now train players to play new positions. So, if you sign Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ricard Pereira, you'll now be able to convert one of them into a winger instead of being stuck with two top-class right-backs. Again, these might seem like small steps, but together, they make for the most substantial update we've seen in years.

And these are just the most important bits (at least to me). We haven't even talked about how you can now schedule your team's week through new planning options. Or the new training overhaul and addition of match sharpness which changes a player's rating on matchday. Heck, just the updated transfer system that aims to let the AI employ the same tactics you do would make top-billing in most years. For once, Career Mode fans actually have a ton to get excited for.

Hopefully, EA Sports delivers on the promise later this year. FIFA 21 launches October 9 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. The game will also come to Nintendo Switch, PS5, Stadia, and Xbox Series X.