FIFA 21 dev teases ‘secret clues’ for new features hidden in July trailer

Now, this is cheeky! ⁠EA SPORTS producer Gilliard Lopes has teased a handful of “hidden references” to upcoming FIFA 21 features the developers will be adding in the franchise’s next annual release; have you spotted any?

The long-awaited FIFA 21 reveal trailer dropped on July 23, and revealed Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappé as the cover star. The hype video itself was pretty standard; fans were treated to a look at 2020’s annual FIFA title.

There were a few standout moments. As well as the live-action shots of EA’s new lineup of ambassadors, including Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold and Atletico Madrid’s Joao Felix, there was a hefty chunk of FIFA 21 gameplay.

EA also confirmed the new co-op Ultimate Team plans in the clip, and locked in Eric Cantona as the latest retired footballer to join the ever-growing FUT ICON roster from 2020 onwards.

• Read more: FIFA 21 Ultimate Team, ICON & gameplay details announced

As it turns out, however, there were a few things everyone missed. EA’s Lopes took to Twitter to tease a few ‘secret clues’ buried in the 141-second clip: “Can you spot the hidden references to some of our new features?”

There are a few things that stand out straight off the bat. One eagle-eyed FIFA fan pointed to the moment Trent Alexander-Arnold fires off a curling kick into his practice bin. The moment (around 1:38) rewinds after he misses, and he takes the shot again.

It may be a little ridiculous to get a “second-chance” feature in FIFA 21, especially when you remember how competitive Ultimate Team is. What is more likely, however, is a more nifty replay system coming in the 2020 release.

Gameplay-wise, a “second man in” command could be coming to the game to make attacks flow a little better. At the 0:32 mark in the trailer, Mbappe can be seen scoring at the Parc des Princes, to a monstrous cheer.

Three seconds earlier, however, you can see the moment playing out within the live FIFA 21 engine. Mauro Icardi is being controlled by the player, but a green line appears from Mbappe, who is making a run. It only appears for a second.

• Read More: Mbappe named FIFA 21 cover star with three new game cases

Mbappe follows the green line, and Icardi’s back-heel pass comes off seamlessly. Could that be a guiding system for players to control their AI teammates a little better as they’re on the attack? Only time will tell, unfortunately.

Lopes was pretty tight-lipped about the aforementioned “secrets,” however. Thankfully we won’t have to wait long to find out. According to EA’s original reveal schedule, career mode, Volta, pro clubs, and Ultimate Team are still on the slate.

The reveals were actually all tipped to land in August too, so the fact we’ve got a bit of FIFA 21 news early is a nice surprise. Keep your eyes peeled on Twitter @UltimateTeamUK; there’s no telling when EA drops the next big FIFA 21 reveal.