No VAR or empty stadiums in FIFA 21

EA Sports yesterday revealed the main gameplay features of FIFA 21. Importantly, things look promising ahead of this year's iteration, even if we still need to see everything in action before we can really judge.

However, some elements that could have impacted the gaming experience have not been included by Sam Rivera, the title's lead gameplay producer, and his team. One of these elements is the highly divisive VAR (Video Assistant Referees) that is now in place in all major European competitions. While available in Football Manager, this feature was not viewed as relevant for FIFA, which we can easily understand.

Another thing that you won't see in FIFA 21 is games being played behind closed doors or masked supporters in the stands. It is obviously far from what we see these days with the new norm, but EA didn't want to ruin the mood of the title, and once again, who can really blame them.

Do you think that these decisions might hurt FIFA 21's dedication to realism and authenticity?