While gamers still drool over FIFA 17’s Frostbite engine and realistic gameplay, EA Sports are hard at work developing the next edition of its most popular game, FIFA 18. This year’s version of the game is likely to be one of the last in the FIFA series to be launched on the Xbox360 and the PS3 along with the Xbox One and the PS4 and Windows platforms.

Specific details regarding the game are scarce but this article aims to address some of the major expectations from the upcoming game.

In case you didn’t know, the FIFA series is EA Sports’ most popular video game offering with FIFA 18 being the fastest selling edition of the franchise in anticipation of its revolutionary Frostbite gameplay engine. The Frostbite engine is so advanced that a toned down version of it had to be released for the PS3

The best feature of FIFA 18 is likely to be the dynamic weather effect. The weather around the stadium will directly affect the players’ performances on the pitch. So a rainy, windy day, will result in players slowing down, goalkeepers fumbling and error prone gameplay.

The weather patterns will be influential enough to have an effect on in-game tactics and change the way the game is played. A cold wet night in North London featuring Arsenal vs Tottenham will now require a different set of players to deal with the elements as compared to the more delicate talents on show during a nice sunny day.

FIFA 18 is expected to release in late September as is the norm with the FIFA series, although the demo usually launches a couple of weeks in advance.

The honour of being the best player in the game is likely to stay with Cristiano Ronaldo, with Lionel Messi coming a close second. The FIFA series is also much acclaimed for its soundtracks, which are eagerly anticipated along with each edition. Bands like Kasabian, Blur and Radiohead have had their tracks on FIFA soundtracks and the music for the next edition is expected to be top notch again.

The next edition of the game is likely to introduce a new element of realism to FIFA gaming especially with the upcoming dynamic weather feature and ironing of the minor glitches in the otherwise excellent Frostbite engine. The next edition, therefore, like all others before it will be a must buy.