EA Sports provided Monday the first look ahead to FIFA 17, the next edition in the biggest selling sports video game franchise worldwide. Along with a teaser trailer is detail on the change to the game's engine, pre-order incentives, and the cover athletes.
"Powered by Frostbite, FIFA 17 transforms the way you play, compete, and emotionally connect with the game. FIFA 17 immerses you in authentic football experiences by leveraging the sophistication of a new game engine, while introducing you to football players full of depth and emotion, and taking you to brand new worlds accessible only in the game. Complete innovation in the way players think and move, physically interact with opponents, and execute in attack lets you own every moment on the pitch."
Frostbite is a game engine developed by EA that has been featured in the Battlefield series, and has also been utilized with titles like Need for Speed, Rory McIlroy PGA Tour, and Star Wars Battlefront.
Four players will front the game, moving away from Lionel Messi who had appeared on the cover with every edition going all the way back to FIFA 13. They are Eden Hazard, Anthony Martial, Marco Reus, and James Rodriguez.
Standard Edition ($60)
Up to 5 FUT Draft Tokens (1 per week over 5 weeks — worth up to $15)
8-match FUT loan item of Hazard, Martial, Reus, or Rodriguez
Custom FUT kits created by designers or FIFA soundtrack artists
Deluxe Edition ($80)
Up to 20 FIFA Ultimate Team Jumbo Premium Gold Packs (1 per week over 20 weeks — worth up to $60)
3-match FUT Team of the Week loan player (up to 1 player per week over 20 weeks)
8-match FUT loan item of Hazard, Martial, Reus, or Rodriguez
Custom FUT kits created by designers or FIFA soundtrack artists
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Super Deluxe Edition $100
Up to 40 FIFA Ultimate Team Jumbo Premium Gold Packs (2 per week over 20 weeks — worth up to $120)
3-match FUT Team of the Week loan player (up to 2 players per week over 20 weeks)
8-match FUT loan item of Hazard, Martial, Reus, or Rodriguez
Custom FUT kits created by designers or FIFA soundtrack artists
FIFA 17 will release on Sept. 27 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. As with all pre-orders, Amazon Prime offers 20 percent off, making those three editions of the game $46/$64/$80 instead. Much more on FIFA 17 along with an extended trailer and news on other sports games will be out this Sunday and next Monday with the EA Play and E3 press briefings.
Bryan Wiedey posts sports gaming news and analysis daily at Pastapadre.com, has co-founded the sports gaming site HitThePass.com, hosts the Press Row Podcast, and be reached on Twitter @Pastapadre.