11 things we would love to see in Pro Clubs mode

Year after year, EA work hard to ensure there are a variety of games modes to match the needs of every type of FIFA player, whether you are new to the game, a casual player, or a competitive pro player, there is something for you. It is very evident that EA throw most of their resources towards the Ultimate Team game mode, which is fair enough as it is their money maker. 

However, Pro Clubs is the peoples’ champion. This is the game mode most players would say they have enjoyed playing the most over the years. Despite that, the FIFA community have constantly been left frustrated as it feels as though EA basically copy/paste with not much thought towards making innovative strides to better the playing experience. As a result, I have decided to help EA out with 11 ways they can improve Pro Clubs for FIFA 21.

Pro Clubs is a lovely game mode for players who just want to have a chat with their friends whilst they play FIFA together. Allowing a group of up to 11 friends to all play together at the same time really adds to the social element. 

Though it is fun working together to fight your way to Division 1, I truly believe EA are missing a trick here. Imagine if Pro Clubs had a weekend league set up, where the best of the best can battle it out for great in-game prizes. EA could even go a step further, and reward prizes that are usable in other game modes too, e.g. win 10 games in the Pro Clubs weekend league, and every player in the Club gets an untradeable inform from that week’s Team of Week on FUT.

The Cup Mode in Pro Clubs is extremely underused. I have experienced this first-hand as my team have used this to trial or get new players up to speed so we do not ruin our league form, and it is often quite difficult to find a game. To be fair to EA, they did try by adding different game types to the Cup mode, but it didn’t really hit the mark. If the prize for winning a tournament in Cup mode was something more than a nothing cup in your trophy cabinet like; exclusive kits, boots, stadiums, celebrations or even a skill move or trait, I’m certain more players would invest time into trying to reach a final.

This is the game changer. If you have ever played NBA2k, you already know where this is going. NBA2k has a Neighbourhood where players can go and free roam, with the option of entering a store, or playing a street game etc. FIFA NEEDS THIS!! I really thought this was what Volta was going to be, but the anticlimactic game mode left me very underwhelmed. Still, it’s not too late. FIFA can combine “Be a Pro” career mode, Pro Clubs, and Volta/FIFA street, with the ability to roam around a street football themed neighbourhood. It would be sensational.

Following on from the last idea, I think it would be great if EA added the possibility to play 1v1, Joga Bonito style 3v3, 5 a side cage football, or even 7 aside on a mini pitch. Not only would this add a new dimension to FIFA as we know it, but it would change the landscape of football games forever. Revolutionary stuff. I am aware that this is possible on Volta, if you can’t do it with your friends, no one cares.

There is nothing better than scoring the winning goal in a Pro Clubs game, running to the corner flag with your teammates, and celebrating together. The issue is, it’s extremely awkward when you have decided to go for the mannequin celebration, but Wayne is doing to the Robot, Adrian is dabbing on his haters and Sajad is somewhere near the halfway line balancing on his head. It would be cool if EA enabled us to be able to create our own custom team celebrations and show them off in game after scoring a crucial goal. The goal-scoring enjoyment factor would most certainly go up a gear.

The current attributes upgrading system lacks a clear structure. It feels more like a “keep playing and you will eventually reach max stats” system. But if EA structed it so that your pro’s upgrades are directly aligned with in game accomplishments (e.g. score a hattrick for +5 shooting), it would make the gameplay much more engaging and meaningful.

I remember something similar being applied in a previous version of Pro Clubs. It may have been overkill at the time, as players would focus more on individual accomplishments rather helping the team win. However, I still feel this a bit of a tweak, instead of removing this format completely. Maybe something more team orientated like play 100 games or win 10 games in a row. The reward for unlocking an achievement can still be individual reward, but the emphasis being on something like commitment or team work just gives it more of a selfless feel, yet still provides individuals with something to work towards.

Playing Pro Clubs with a full squad of friends can be both challenging and joyful, but it is also very rare. Often there are spots filled with AI players to make up the numbers. Normally those very sports are filled with the same generic names like Schulz, De Riddler or Generux. But what if we were able to earn real life stars to make up the numbers for us? It would add so much more to the neglected game mode. 

Earlier, I mentioned the need to add incentives to the Cup mode. What if the prize for winning the community cup was a choice of De Gea, Oblak or Ter Stegan in goal for the next 20 games? Or you get to pick an attacker of your choice to have on your bench once you get past Division 3. I cannot believe I am giving this away for free! Haha.

This is something I actually believe will come over time, as we have seen it incorporated in many popular games such as Fortnite and COD. Hopefully sooner rather than later, because although it’s fun debating or making a joke about why your choice console is better than your friends choice of console, ideally we would all like to just play together. Understandably, this may be a complex thing to do for a game mode like Ultimate Team, but Pro Clubs is literally a no brainer.

Let’s face it, all of us use Loftus Road up until about division 5 and then we remember to pick another stadium we have managed to unlock over time. It’s getting boring now. It would be nice if EA could give as a few more things to unlock through achieving milestones. Again, maybe a team celebration, exclusive kit designs, or like I mentioned previously, a real-life player to have on the bench. I think this is something that EA could have easily implemented a long time ago, but for whatever reason, they are seemingly holding back.

I’m not sure if this would be a useful tool for everyone, but it my Pro Clubs team, we always have debates about player contributions, who works hardest for the team, and who really is our star man. Not to brag or anything, but a positive goal to game ratio and a healthy win percentage speaks for itself :P. 

Nevertheless, it would be amazing to be able to illustrate your importance to the team with cold, hard evidence. Maybe a heat map to show you are the engine of the team, or a form chart to show why you deserve to be the captain, or possibly even a record sheet to show you win the most penalties and should therefore be penalty taker. It may be more trouble than it is worth for EA, but honestly, it’s this type of attention to detail that would really tug at the heart strings of the all the loyal, die hard Pro Clubs lovers out there.

In conclusion, this is the game mode with the most potential on FIFA. Honestly, I believe EA know this. Maybe why they seem to neglect it. Afterall, why take players away from their big money maker – Ultimate Team. I understand this stance, however let me just say this. FIFA is the game I spend most of my time playing every year. I love football and I have always enjoyed playing football games. I played Ultimate Team this year and STILL managed to play a part in my Pro Clubs team reaching Division 1 and winning the D1 title for the first time EVER in any FIFA. So yes, I managed to split my time between both game modes accordingly.

However, I have not played Pro Clubs again ever since we won the title, as there is literally nothing else to play for. And Ultimate Team is more toxic than ever this year, so I am at a loss. I can genuinely say FIFA 20 was not an enjoying experience for me at all this year. I played it more out of my love for football, than my love for FIFA. 

EA, I have given you a list of 11 ways to give back to the loyal community you have formed over the years.

Make Pro Clubs fun again!