In FIFA 19, you'll be able to kick lumps out of your opponent without ever getting sent off.
Well, sort of. As part of a revamp of its basic Kick Off mode (the one you play for bragging rights when you have friends around), EA is adding new optional rule sets called "House Rules", one of which is a No Rules mode where the referee will turn a blind eye to everything, including fouls and offsides.
Perhaps the most intriguing rule set is Survival, in which you lose a player every time you score a goal. It should lead to even matches—it'll be hard to score when you're playing 8v11—and add a touch of comedy: you're basically racing to get the match abandoned. In normal rules, if you have less than seven players, it's game over, and the same is true here, but whoever depletes their team first gets the win.
Other House Rules include Long Range (goals count double from outside the box), Headers and Volleys (only headers and volleys count as goals), and First To... (first to a certain number of goals wins). You'll also be able to tweak the regular Kick Off games to turn them into a best-of-three or five series, or split the match across two legs.
I was already itching to play FIFA 19 and, as someone that plays it most when I have a group of friends around, I'm looking forward to it even more now.
FIFA 19 is set to release on September 28, but subscribers to Origin Access Premier will be able to play it early.
Thanks, Eurogamer.
