Football fans who tuned in to EA Play earlier today got their first look at FIFA 20, and it may have given veteran FIFA fans a wave of nostalgia: EA Sports is putting in a FIFA Street-style game mode called VOLTA. The new game mode will allow fans to build up their own squad, progress through a new story mode, jump into kick-off games, and test their mettle online in a league-based system that has promotion and relegation.

The game mode is a spiritual successor to FIFA Street, which last appeared as a standalone title in 2012. The name of the new game mode means "return" in Portuguese, and this one was about seven years in the making.

Players who hop into FIFA 20's new game mode will be able to design their own male or female footballer and take them into street matchups, where flair and creativity are emphasized in tighter playing spaces of various sizes. Arena locations will range from an underpass in Amsterdam to a rooftop in Tokyo, where players can play in 3-on-3 matchups (sans goalkeeper), 4-on-4 (with or without goalkeepers), 5-on-5, and professional footsal matchups.

The game mode will also feature a heavy focus on creative cosmetics, much like NHL Ones introduced to EA Sports' hockey-based franchise last year. This will allow players to don shirts, sweaters, shoes, and vanity items galore as they progress through the new VOLTA game mode. EA Sports has confirmed unlockable cosmetic items will be given as progression rewards, though it remains to be seen if microtransactions will also be involved. One can hope that cosmetic packs aren't introduced if the rewards have odds similar to FUT Packs.

EA Sports didn't delve into how detailed VOLTA's story will be, so it's unclear if VOLTA will have anything as in-depth as The Journey has been over the last three FIFA releases. Alex Hunter's storyline is officially over, and since players design their own athlete in VOLTA it's hard to say if EA Sports intends to lend a large focus on a presumably-silent protagonist.

In any event, EA Sports has confirmed that a deep dive into VOLTA details will take place in early August, about a month and a half before the release of FIFA 20. Prior to that, fans can expect a close look at gameplay details in mid-July. The studio will then reveal more information about career mode at the end of the month, which is a game mode that has found itself lacking with the company's major focus on the lucrative Ultimate Team game mode.

With the last FIFA spicing things up with some fun new variants to kick-off mode, it looks like FIFA 20 will continue the theme of breathing more fresh air into the franchise.

FIFA 20 will release on September 27, 2019 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

Source: Electronic Arts