FIFA 16

FIFA 16 developer EA Canada has already let us get our hands on the game at E3 in June, but there are still so many questions we have about the September 22nd title. At Gamescom, more of the curtain was pulled back on the game, revealing details about changes to this year's career mode as well as an exciting new way to play FIFA Ultimate Team.

The FIFA series dominates gamers' free time not just because of the licenses or even the gameplay. It's also thanks to the excitement of building your own team via FIFA Ultimate Team and the challenge of steering your club to greatness in its career mode. Developer EA Canada has announced a host of additions and improvements to these modes for FIFA 16, and they could be big enough to strengthen the game's career mode and either deepen your addiction to Ultimate Team or make you try it for the first time.

FUT DRAFT & ULTIMATE TEAM

Similar to Madden 16's Draft Champions feature, FUT Draft is designed as a quick experience: Draft a squad of Ultimate Team players from multiple rounds of randomly generated players, play a four-game single-elimination tournament online or off, and reap the rewards.

I haven't gotten our hands on the mode yet, but if it's like Madden's Draft Champions, I could see this as the primary way many people play Ultimate Team from here on out because of its no-fuss approach.

Here's some more details on the new mode, as well as info on regular Ultimate Team:

• You start by paying the entrance fee of FUT coins or points.

• Choose from one of five formations (this will be your default formation for the duration of the tournament) and pick a captain from a set of superstars.

• Through multiple rounds you'll pick from a list of five players randomly drawn from the FUT database to build out a 23-man squad. The FUT cards have varying degrees of quality. I've seen the basic chemistry style listed on the cards, but I don't know if cards with other styles will also come up.

• Subs and reserves can also be manually selected, although you can also auto-complete your roster.

• If you're playing the mode on an Xbox console, FUT Legend cards can also come up in your draft. More on the new Ultimate Team Legends below.

• Naturally, you can shift your roster around for the best chemistry.

• The further your progress in the tourney, the better the coins or points rewards, but even if you bomb out in the first game you'll at least get back what you've initially invested. There is also something called a draft token you can win, but were not sure what it is exactly.

• It's unknown if consumables, can be used in FUT Draft. I also don't know about the role, if any, of managers in FUT Draft.

• You can still play the regular Ultimate Team, and EA Canada says it's made improvements to the mode's interface, squad screen, and consumables. Consumables are now recommended to you.

• The overall presentation of FUT matches will now look more like those in a regular match, with graphics highlighting players, for instance.

• It's unknown at this time if the mobile app and web browser transfer market – which was taken down to try and curb coin sellers and farmers – will be restored for FIFA 16.

• There are 10 new FUT Legends for players on Xbox consoles. The eight players currently confirmed are: George Best, Deco, Jari Litmanen, Gennaro Gattuso, Javier Zanetti, Vítor Baía, Alessandro Nesta, and Ryan Giggs. There is also Legends chemistry links between Legends and squad players.

CAREER MODE

The two big additions to the mode are pre-season tournaments and mid-week training. Both will help develop the younger players you don't loan out, and the pre-season tournaments in particular provide an influx of cash for your club.

Pre-Season Tournaments

• Pre-season tournaments consist of eight teams total from around the globe, and range in difficulty. The three listed I saw were the Champions Trophy (Asia), American Challenge Cup, and Invitational Cup (Australia). It's unknown how many different tourneys will be available from year to year.

• In these friendlies you can make more subs than in a league/cup match.

Training

• There are more than 30 drills, and each one boosts a particular attribute. For instance, el rondo works on interceptions, slide tackles, standing tackles, and marking.

• Five players can be trained per week.

• You can perform all the drills, simulate any individual drill, or sim all of them.

• It's unknown how many attribute points can be gained per week through training and what impact, if at all, each player's overall development arc has on that increase.

• Training drills do not affect a player rehabbing an injury or their overall health.

General

• Free agents can be signed outside the transfer windows.

• A percentage of your budget carries over from year to year depending on your club's performance.

• There are now two-year loans, and short-term loans last six months.

• Managers have improved job security. I don't know the specifics around this, but I hope that it means you're not dismissed just for missing your domestic objective by one place in the standings, for instance.

• Improved transfer values and authenticity, and general fixes for the Global Transfer Network. Hopefully scouts don't run out of players to recommend this year.

• Scouts recommend three players based on your squad's weaknesses.

• Scouting reports now last a year.

• Improved fixture congestion. I don't know if this only applies to the re-scheduling of fixtures.

PRESENTATION

• 900+ new club chants. I double checked this one, and that's indeed what EA is saying.

• 450 total headscans, including 14 new ones for Real Madrid players, including Cristiano Ronaldo.

• Presentation graphics for the Bundesliga that matches that league's TV broadcast.

• There are some new body models for male players.

• Players can run over and celebrate with the cameraman or the subs on the bench.

• New commentary for stat tracking, transfers, and player debuts to help make the commentary more specific to your club.

• Rain intensity can change as a match progresses, and matches also have different kick off times.

• New stadiums: Vicarage Road (Watford), Dean Court (Bournemouth), Carrow Road (Norwich City), Borussia-Park (Borussia Mönchengladbach), CenturyLink Field (Seattle Sounders), King Abdullah Sports City (Saudia Arabia), El Monumental (River Plate), and Stade Vélodrome (Olympique de Marseille).

• Also included in the game is Fratton Park, home of Portsmouth FC. The stadium is included in remembrance of Simon Humber, the late co-creator of Ultimate Team (among many accomplishments with the team) who was a massive Portsmouth fan. After Humber passed away from cancer earlier this year, Portsmouth placed flowers next to the goals at Fratton Park in his honor, which is represented in the game.

FIFA INTERACTIVE WORLD CUP

• The global tournament is now coming to the next-gen consoles, including the FIWC debut on a Microsoft system – Xbox One. You'll see tiles for the tournament in the game's menus.