Sales for FIFA 21 in the UK have fallen dramatically compared to last year, with the game selling almost half as many physical copies as FIFA 20. The latest entry in the series has made a number of improvements over last year's installment, including changes to the way attackers can dribble and the AI powering goalkeepers. However, the game remains largely unchanged when compared to its predecessor.
Things are even worse for those who buy the game on Nintendo Switch. EA confirmed last week that FIFA 21 on Nintendo's hybrid console is essentially exactly the same game as FIFA 20. According to marketing material, "FIFA 21 Legacy Edition will feature the same gameplay innovation from FIFA 20 without any new development or significant enhancements." The only change in the game is a roster update, ensuring that all teams have the correct players and strips compared to last year. Unfortunately, this is the same treatment Switch players got last year, with FIFA 20 having no gameplay changes compared to FIFA 19.
Sales for the latest installment in EA's premier soccer franchise have drastically reduced compared to last year. Physical copies of FIFA 21 have sold 42 percent less than FIFA 20, according to a report by GamesIndustry.biz, although this does not take into account any digital sales. A significant amount of players now buy titles digitally, so this could explain some of the reduced sales but it is likely that a large number of players are also waiting for the next-gen edition of the game to launch alongside the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Despite the drop in performance, FIFA 21 remains the most successful launch of the year in the UK, beating out the likes of The Last of Us: Part 2 and Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Players don't necessarily have to wait for the next-gen systems to release to buy FIFA 21. EA is running a scheme known as Dual Entitlement, which gives players the chance to upgrade selected games at no extra cost. That means those who buy FIFA 21 on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One can get the enhanced edition providing players are on the same family of console. Users will have until FIFA 22 releases next year to claim the free upgrade.
Considering that the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S systems are just a few weeks from release, it seems likely that many players will be holding back in anticipation of buying the next-gen edition of FIFA 21. Even though EA is offering a free upgrade, lots of users might not know about the offer. Of course, it's also possible that many more players have just bought the game digitally this year, further reducing the physical sales.
FIFA 21 is available now on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, with next-gen versions due out when the consoles launch in November.
Source: GamesIndustry.biz