FIFA 22 Career Mode: All the biggest new features

Nathan Warby
Stadium in FIFA 22 Career mode

While Ultimate Team is often lauded as the series’ most popular mode, FIFA’s Career Mode has always been a fan favorite. So much so that this year EA is giving it a major overhaul. Here are all the biggest changes coming to FIFA 22 Career Mode.

As we get closer and closer to the launch of FIFA 22, fans of the series are being showered with new leaks and information about what to expect from the new season. New Ultimate Team details especially are dropping all the time, from the new Hero cards to leaked player ratings.

But FUT isn’t the only mode getting a touch-up this year. FIFA 22 Career Mode looks set to be the biggest yet, thanks to a host of changes fans have wanted for years.

Mbappe controlling a ball in FIFA 22

FIFA 22 Manager Career Mode

Create a Club

The biggest new change coming to FIFA 22 Career Mode is the long-awaited addition of Create-a-Club in Manager Career. Whereas in the past, players were forced to take control of an existing team, this year, you’ll have the option to take to the pitch with a club you built from the ground up.

You start by picking a name and nickname, which will be adopted by the in-game commentary teams and feature in all the various menus found within the mode. From there, you have control over every aspect of the club, including the kits and the crest.

Perhaps most exciting is the option to customize your own stadium. Similar to the stadium creator from Ultimate Team in FIFA 21, everything from the pitch markings to the color of the seats can be changed. This level of control lets players express their creative side and will undoubtedly lead to some weird and wonderful creations.

FIFA 22 Career Mode crest customization

Then you have the crucial task of building your actual squad. Here you can tweak the desired age and quality of your side, from a mid-table team with plenty of promise to a table-topper whose best players are on their way out.

Finally, you also have control over the club’s philosophy by selecting the board’s priorities, such as domestic success or youth development. These will impact the objectives you are handed as manager at the start of each new season.

FIFA 22 Career Mode Menu

FIFA 22 Player Career Mode

But being a manager isn’t the only way to play. Player Career is also getting some pretty significant changes that fans have been pining for.

The first of these is the ability to take control of your player after they have come on as a substitute. This may sound like a small and obvious feature, but its absence from previous years was noticeable, especially when playing as a young prospect trying to rise through the ranks.

Objectives and manager ratings

Match objectives will play a much more significant role in FIFA 22 Career mode. Each time you step on the pitch, you will be met by a series of challenges to complete based on your club and position.

Completing these tasks helps your player’s growth and keeps you in the manager’s plans.

Speaking of which, in FIFA 22, there will be a new way of keeping track of where you are in the club’s pecking order.

The Manager Rating system lets you know where you fit in the boss’s plans. If you fail to complete objectives too often, you could wind up back on the bench – or even on the transfer list.

Growth

The way your player improves will change drastically in FIFA 22. You will be given far control over the way they develop, thanks to the new XP system.

Completing match objectives and performing well in training will earn XP, which adds to the player’s overall level.

Each time you level up, you will be awarded a handful of skill points to drop into a series of skill trees, affecting stats like pace, passing, and shooting.

It’s very similar to the way Pro Clubs worked in FIFA 21. Only here can you keep track of how far away you are from the next unlock.

Player Career skill tree

As you level up, you’ll also unlock perks that can be selected before a match. Up to three can be equipped at once, and they automatically trigger in-game when certain criteria are met. These offer you valuable buffs on top of the normal stats your player has.

For example, the Hot Streak perk means shooting attributes are boosted for a short time after you bag a goal. It also grants the Finesse Shot and Power Header traits and increases your weak foot ability.

Other FIFA 22 Career Mode changes

As well as the major additions to both Player and Manager Career, there are some general changes across the board, particularly to cinematics, to help make FIFA 22 as immersive as possible.

There’s no doubt that cinematics add an extra layer of authenticity to Career Mode, and EA has added even more this year to keep up the variety. The end of each match in Player Career will trigger a cutscene that sees you and the rest of your team reacting to the game.

These can range from celebrating a big win to your player embarrassingly hiding a man of the match award even though the team has lost. More realistic cinematics have also been added to transfer negotiations to fully convey the drama of haggling over the next big signing.

These are all the biggest features coming to FIFA 22 Career Mode. For more on FIFA 22, check out the first batch of leaked Ones to Watch cards and how you can get early access to the game.

Image credits: EA

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About The Author

Nathan is a Senior Writer for CharlieIntel and Dexerto, primarily covering FIFA and Call of Duty, as well as general gaming news and guides. After leaving university with a degree in Sports Studies and a master's degree in Magazine Journalism, he took on a role as a local news reporter before moving into games media. You can contact Nathan by email at [email protected].