Microsoft’s secretive AAA studio, The Initiative, has added more former Sony first-party studio employees to its ranks. This time the new employees are an ex-Naughty Dog animator who worked on the Uncharted series and both The Last of Us games, plus one of Naughty Dog’s former technical directors. Lee Davis, formerly Naughty Dog’s Head of Melee Animation, has been appointed as The Initiative’s Lead Gameplay Animator. Lauren Garcia, who was previously Naughty Dog’s Character Shading Technical Director, is now Senior Shading Technologies at Microsoft’s self-described “AAAA” developer. Garcia announced his new position on Twitter, while Davis’ appointment was spotted on LinkedIn by Twitter user Klobrille. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/25/xbox-series-x-official-optimized-for-xbox-series-x-trailer"] Both Davis and Garcia worked on The Last of Us: Part 2, which was critically acclaimed for both its animation and the visual fidelity of its characters. Davis also worked on Uncharted 2, Uncharted 4, and the original The Last of Us. Davis and Garcia are the latest additions to The Initiative, and not the first from a major Sony studio; back in 2018 the developer hired former God of War producer Brian Westergaard. Alongside these ex-Sony developers are staff who previously worked at Crystal Dynamics and Bungie. These latest hires point to The Initiative potentially looking to replicate the high standards of animation found in Naughty Dog’s games. What The Initiative is working on is currently unknown, but earlier this year there were rumours that the studio is developing a reboot of Perfect Dark. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

Rock Band 4 developer Harmonix has confirmed that Rock Band 4, all DLC, and a vast array of Rock Band peripherals will work from day one on Sony and Microsoft’s next-generation consoles launching next month. While Sony has previously clarified the PS5 is compatible with “99 percent” of the “thousands” of PS4 games it has tested – and Microsoft has similarly explained almost all Xbox One games will run on Xbox Series S and X beyond a few “one-off exceptions here or there” – Rock Band 4 is in a fairly unique position. Not only does it require a pile of bespoke peripherals to play (some of which date back to the PS3 and Xbox 360) – it also supports thousands of individual pieces of DLC from a catalogue of songs stretching back to 2007. [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/10/19/rock-band-4-rivals-official-launch-trailer] “Our team has been diligently testing a bunch of old gear on the new systems to make sure everything works exactly as it does today,” explained Harmonix in a new post on the studio’s official site. “When you break open those crisp new consoles, you should be able to connect your existing, compatible peripherals and play Rock Band 4 right out of the box.” “All DLC currently available for download will also work on new consoles. No messy generation transition this time, it’s the same DLC!” The team also discovered a “pretty sizable performance increase” on both new consoles, especially when it came to load times. It would appear the only minor hurdle the team found is that the PS5 defaults to the microphone available in the controller: “If you want to use a regular USB mic, you’ll have to change that in your console settings,” explains Harmonix. You can browse the full list of the instrument peripherals Harmonix tested – including controllers dating back to Rock Band 2 – on the studio’s blog post. With new songs still being released on a weekly basis Harmonix noted it hopes to continue support for Rock Band 4 “for the foreseeable future.” Missed the music game mania train, or just need a refresher? Check out IGN’s recent look back at the roots and the rise of the rhythm genre.

[poilib element="accentDivider"]

Luke is Games Editor at IGN's Sydney office. You can find him on Twitter sporadically @MrLukeReilly.

Rock Band 4 developer Harmonix has confirmed that Rock Band 4, all DLC, and a vast array of Rock Band peripherals will work from day one on Sony and Microsoft’s next-generation consoles launching next month. While Sony has previously clarified the PS5 is compatible with “99 percent” of the “thousands” of PS4 games it has tested – and Microsoft has similarly explained almost all Xbox One games will run on Xbox Series S and X beyond a few “one-off exceptions here or there” – Rock Band 4 is in a fairly unique position. Not only does it require a pile of bespoke peripherals to play (some of which date back to the PS3 and Xbox 360) – it also supports thousands of individual pieces of DLC from a catalogue of songs stretching back to 2007. [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/10/19/rock-band-4-rivals-official-launch-trailer] “Our team has been diligently testing a bunch of old gear on the new systems to make sure everything works exactly as it does today,” explained Harmonix in a new post on the studio’s official site. “When you break open those crisp new consoles, you should be able to connect your existing, compatible peripherals and play Rock Band 4 right out of the box.” “All DLC currently available for download will also work on new consoles. No messy generation transition this time, it’s the same DLC!” The team also discovered a “pretty sizable performance increase” on both new consoles, especially when it came to load times. It would appear the only minor hurdle the team found is that the PS5 defaults to the microphone available in the controller: “If you want to use a regular USB mic, you’ll have to change that in your console settings,” explains Harmonix. You can browse the full list of the instrument peripherals Harmonix tested – including controllers dating back to Rock Band 2 – on the studio’s blog post. With new songs still being released on a weekly basis Harmonix noted it hopes to continue support for Rock Band 4 “for the foreseeable future.” Missed the music game mania train, or just need a refresher? Check out IGN’s recent look back at the roots and the rise of the rhythm genre.

[poilib element="accentDivider"]

Luke is Games Editor at IGN's Sydney office. You can find him on Twitter sporadically @MrLukeReilly.

Treyarch wrapped up the first weekend of the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War beta on PS4 and the developer has already made changes heading into the next beta weekend. The Black Ops Cold War beta is available on PlayStation 4 ahead of its November 13 release date. After feedback from players, Treyarch has made the following changes to the Black Ops Cold War beta, according to its official website. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/12/call-of-duty-black-ops-cold-war-27-tips-tricks-for-the-beta"] Gameplay

• Adjusted tuning on the Duster Stock attachment to prevent faster sliding than intended
• Increased the cooldown on the Spy Plane to help limit their numbers in the sky at one time.
• Increased TDM score limit from 75 to 100 for better match pacing.
• Updated the Assassin Perk description for clarity.
• Slightly reduced the damage output of the Milano 821 SMG.

  General

• Adjusted conditions for joining in progress to prevent players from joining matches that are about to end.
• Moved VIP Escort exclusively to the Featured playlist.

  Bug Fixes

• Fixed an issue where a controller could become unresponsive when loading into a match.
• Fixed an issue with multiple Optics being misaligned in ADS and blocking the player’s view, including Snappoint, Diamondback, and Hawksmoor attachments.
• Fixed a bug where players would get “UI Error 66156” when selecting “Add Activision Friends” from the Recent Players menu.
• Fixed an issue where other players’ names were not visible in the pre-match lobby.

  Stability

• Fixed crashes that could occur during the Best Play in a VIP Escort match.
• Fixed a crash that could occur while selecting Operators in the front-end menu.
• Fixed a crash that could occur when a SAM Turrent missile hit a target when the turret was destroyed.
• Fixed a rare crash that could occur if a Gunboat was beached for too long.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/09/call-of-duty-black-ops-cold-war-multiplayer-hands-on-preview"] The beta is available for early access to players who pre-order any edition of Black Ops Cold War, and open to any PS4 owners. For more, check out IGN’s extensive Black Ops Cold War preview. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Treyarch wrapped up the first weekend of the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War beta on PS4 and the developer has already made changes heading into the next beta weekend. The Black Ops Cold War beta is available on PlayStation 4 ahead of its November 13 release date. After feedback from players, Treyarch has made the following changes to the Black Ops Cold War beta, according to its official website. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/12/call-of-duty-black-ops-cold-war-27-tips-tricks-for-the-beta"] Gameplay

• Adjusted tuning on the Duster Stock attachment to prevent faster sliding than intended
• Increased the cooldown on the Spy Plane to help limit their numbers in the sky at one time.
• Increased TDM score limit from 75 to 100 for better match pacing.
• Updated the Assassin Perk description for clarity.
• Slightly reduced the damage output of the Milano 821 SMG.

  General

• Adjusted conditions for joining in progress to prevent players from joining matches that are about to end.
• Moved VIP Escort exclusively to the Featured playlist.

  Bug Fixes

• Fixed an issue where a controller could become unresponsive when loading into a match.
• Fixed an issue with multiple Optics being misaligned in ADS and blocking the player’s view, including Snappoint, Diamondback, and Hawksmoor attachments.
• Fixed a bug where players would get “UI Error 66156” when selecting “Add Activision Friends” from the Recent Players menu.
• Fixed an issue where other players’ names were not visible in the pre-match lobby.

  Stability

• Fixed crashes that could occur during the Best Play in a VIP Escort match.
• Fixed a crash that could occur while selecting Operators in the front-end menu.
• Fixed a crash that could occur when a SAM Turrent missile hit a target when the turret was destroyed.
• Fixed a rare crash that could occur if a Gunboat was beached for too long.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/09/call-of-duty-black-ops-cold-war-multiplayer-hands-on-preview"] The beta is available for early access to players who pre-order any edition of Black Ops Cold War, and open to any PS4 owners. For more, check out IGN’s extensive Black Ops Cold War preview. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.

The Doom franchise is no stranger to being installed on unexpected devices, but this might be its most delicious yet.

Instagram user Richard Mallard has managed to run Doom Eternal on his Samsung fridge thanks to xCloud.

Spotted by the Verge, Mallard shared a video of his results to his personal profile on Monday, showing an early level of Doom Eternal running and responding to his Xbox controller inputs on the Samsung fridge’s screen. Mallard achieved this by sideloading the Android version of the Xbox Game Pass app onto his not-so-mobile device.

The app actually manages to portray the correct aspect ratio on the Samsung fridge’s screen, although the screen is formatted in portrait mode, so there’s several inches of unused space. Nevertheless, the game appears to run about as smooth as you could hope for on a cloud streaming service.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/05/xcloud-might-be-xboxs-secret-weapon-unlocked-455"]

Mallard also managed to play Gears 5 multiplayer on his Samsung fridge in a subsequent video.

Of course, the Doom franchise is no stranger to being loaded onto hilariously small and/or atypical devices, although it’s usually the original 2.39MB Doom from 1993. Just last September, a programmer ran a visually rough version of Doom on a pregnancy test. Add it to the list of weird devices to play Doom on, including a Microwave, a Leapfrog educational toy, and this laptop from the set of Friends.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=confirmed-xbox-series-x-games&captions=true"]

Funny enough, this means the xCloud game streaming service is technically available on the Samsung smart fridge before iPhones or iPads. Apple’s app guidelines make putting a service like xCloud on iOS a particularly complicated process. Apple allows for streaming services to be put on iOS as apps, but only as a “catalog app” that lets users sign up for the service and see what titles are available. Most notably, Apple requires that each game would need to have its own separate app on the iOS App Store, which doesn’t exactly work for a service like Xbox’s Game Pass, where every available title is centralized through one launcher.

Despite that hassle, Xbox head Phil Spencer allegedly indicated in an internal all-hands on meeting at Microsoft that xCloud “absolutely will end up on iOS” via a browser-based solution. Amazon’s recently announced Luna service may point at Xbox’s alleged plan. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/fridge admirer for IGN. You can open your heart and fridge to him on Twitter.

The Doom franchise is no stranger to being installed on unexpected devices, but this might be its most delicious yet.

Instagram user Richard Mallard has managed to run Doom Eternal on his Samsung fridge thanks to xCloud.

Spotted by the Verge, Mallard shared a video of his results to his personal profile on Monday, showing an early level of Doom Eternal running and responding to his Xbox controller inputs on the Samsung fridge’s screen. Mallard achieved this by sideloading the Android version of the Xbox Game Pass app onto his not-so-mobile device.

The app actually manages to portray the correct aspect ratio on the Samsung fridge’s screen, although the screen is formatted in portrait mode, so there’s several inches of unused space. Nevertheless, the game appears to run about as smooth as you could hope for on a cloud streaming service.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/05/xcloud-might-be-xboxs-secret-weapon-unlocked-455"]

Mallard also managed to play Gears 5 multiplayer on his Samsung fridge in a subsequent video.

Of course, the Doom franchise is no stranger to being loaded onto hilariously small and/or atypical devices, although it’s usually the original 2.39MB Doom from 1993. Just last September, a programmer ran a visually rough version of Doom on a pregnancy test. Add it to the list of weird devices to play Doom on, including a Microwave, a Leapfrog educational toy, and this laptop from the set of Friends.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=confirmed-xbox-series-x-games&captions=true"]

Funny enough, this means the xCloud game streaming service is technically available on the Samsung smart fridge before iPhones or iPads. Apple’s app guidelines make putting a service like xCloud on iOS a particularly complicated process. Apple allows for streaming services to be put on iOS as apps, but only as a “catalog app” that lets users sign up for the service and see what titles are available. Most notably, Apple requires that each game would need to have its own separate app on the iOS App Store, which doesn’t exactly work for a service like Xbox’s Game Pass, where every available title is centralized through one launcher.

Despite that hassle, Xbox head Phil Spencer allegedly indicated in an internal all-hands on meeting at Microsoft that xCloud “absolutely will end up on iOS” via a browser-based solution. Amazon’s recently announced Luna service may point at Xbox’s alleged plan. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/fridge admirer for IGN. You can open your heart and fridge to him on Twitter.

If you’re looking to put together an unstoppable Ultimate Team, you’re likely on the lookout for the best players in FIFA 21. Figuring out which footballers have the top in-game statistics can help you plan out your transfer market trades and create optimistic concept squads for the future of your virtual club. It also means you can pin down the players you need in the transfer window when you kick off your Career Mode.

We’re going to run through the statistics behind the top 100 players in the game, with context added for the top 10 footballers. Follow along with our handy guide to figure out how your favourite player stacks up against the competition.

Here are the top 100 players in FIFA 21.

1 Lionel Messi

OVR 93 / RW / PAC 85 / SHO 92 / PAS 91 / DRI 95 / DEF 38 / PHY 65  

• 4 Star Skill Moves
• 4 Star Weak Foot

Barcelona’s Lionel Messi is one of the most revered players in professional football, and as a result, the Argentine winger stands tall as the top-rated player in FIFA 21. Messi maintains the throne after leapfrogging Cristiano Ronaldo to clinch the top spot in FIFA 20. Messi is devastating in front of goal with his 92 Shooting stat and makes short work of defenders with a remarkable 95 in Dribbling. His four-star skill moves complement his blistering pace, allowing him to outwit defenders in front of goal and score goals with flair and finesse. Given his legendary status, Messi is incredibly expensive in Ultimate Team, so start saving early and pray the pack gods favour you!

2 Cristiano Ronaldo

OVR 92 / ST / PAC 89 / SHO 93 / PAS 81 / DRI 89 / DEF 35 / PHY 77  

• 5 Star Skill Moves
• 4 Star Weak Foot

Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo takes spot two in the top 100 once again this year, as the striker takes a minor knock to his Pace, dropping from 90 Pace to 89, dragging his overall rating down to 92 from 93. Meanwhile, his Physical stat has been raised to 78, and his Passing stat has been totted up to 82. With his 5-star skill moves and incredible free-kick capabilities, Ronaldo is an absolute monster on the pitch even as he gets older. The striker still plays for Piemonte Calcio in FIFA 21, as EA is yet to reclaim the rights to Serie A team Juventus. His greater physicality allows him to press through defences and score goals with style.

3 Robert Lewandowski

OVR 91 / ST / PAC 78 / SHO 91/ PAS 78 / DRI 86 / DEF 43 / PHY 82  

• 4 Star Skill Moves
• 4 Star Weak Foot

Polish striker Robert Lewandowski takes third place this year, a significant leap from FIFA 20 where he took place 15 in the top 100. Lewandowksi plays upfront for Bayern Munich and has an incredible attacking work rate, which is complemented by his deadly 91 Shooting stat. With 82 in Physical and a handy 86 Dribbling, Lewandowski is a workhorse and a significant threat for slow defenders trying to pin him down in the box. He’s not as fast as many of his contemporaries this far up the board, but his strength is unmatched, so if you’re looking for raw power, get this guy on your Transfer Target list.

4 Kevin De Bruyne

OVR 91 / CAM / PAC 76 / SHO 86 / PAS 93 / DRI 88 / DEF 64 / PHY 78  

• 4 Star Skill Moves
• 5 Star Weak Foot

Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne is a deadly midfielder with the best Passing stat in the game at 93. If you need a player who can set up strikers with deadly precision while also being able to put away goals on his own terms, De Bruyne is your man. The Belgian beast also has a five-star Weak Foot skill, meaning he can strike with confidence with his left foot as well as his right. His 86 Shooting stat and 91 Long Shots stat means that you can fire at the keeper from outside the box and still have a good chance of scoring when you’re not embarrassing defenders with his 88 Dribbling stat.

5 Neymar Jr

OVR 91 / LW / PAC 91 / SHO 85 / PAS 86 / DRI 94 / DEF 36 / PHY 59

• 5 Star Skill Moves
• 5 Star Weak Foot

Paris Saint-Germain’s Neymar Jr. has slipped to fifth place from third in the official rankings since FIFA 20, but that doesn’t mean he’s any less dangerous on the left-wing. The Brazilian attacker has 96 Agility and 94 Dribbling, which work well with his five-star skill moves to make him incredibly hard to dispossess when he’s on the approach. If you make use of FIFA 21’s Agile Dribbling system, Neymar Jr should be on your hit list. His physicality isn’t much to shout home about, but with 80+ stats in Passing and Shooting and 91 Pace, Neymar is still one of the most dangerous players in the game.

6 Jan Oblak

OVR 91 / GK / DIV 87 / HAN 92 / KIC 78 / REF 90 / SPE 50 / POS 90  

• 1 Star Skill Moves
• 3 Star Weak Foot

Simply put, Atletico Madrid’s Jan Oblak is the best goalkeeper in FIFA 21. The Slovenian shot-saver boasts a 92 Handling stat and a 90 in Reflexes, so he can pounce about the net in a catlike fashion, keeping goals out as the last line of defence for your team. With 90 Positioning, you can rely on Oblak to adapt to set pieces and move into space to stop the ball. Given his status, Oblak is extremely expensive in Ultimate Team, so definitely someone to save for if you can’t put up with shoddy goalkeeping.

7 Virgil Van Dijk

OVR 90 / CB / PAC 76 / SHO 60 / PAS 71 / DRI 72 / DEF 91 / PHY 86  

• 2 Star Skill Moves
• 3 Star Weak Foot

Much like Oblak, Liverpool’s Virgil Van Dijk is the best player in his class, with the centre back boasting the top Defending skill in FIFA 21 at 91. With 86 Physical and 76 Pace to back that up, you can rely on Van Dijk to stop counter-attacks and use his 93 Marking stat to protect the goal at all costs. With solid stats in Interceptions and a surprising amount of Shot Power, Van Dijk makes for a formidable defender with enough ability to knock in an open goal if necessary, if your primary attack fails.

8 Kylian Mbappe

OVR 90 / ST / PAC 96 / SHO 86 / PAS 78 / DRI 91 / DEF 39 / PHY 76  

• 5 Star Skill Moves
• 4 Star Weak Foot

French wunderkind Mbappe is the cover star of FIFA 21 and comfortably makes his way into the top 10 with stellar skills such as a blistering 96 Pace. With tremendous acceleration, Mbappe is arguably the most agile striker in the game, with a high attacking work rate and five-star skills to beat defenders when he decides to slow his roll, use his 91 Dribbling and shoot. His fantastic stamina stat will also help him persist throughout long matches, and his affinity for volleys make the Paris Saint-Germain striker a force of nature up-front. Just watch out for his less-than-subtle price tag.

9 Mohamed Salah

OVR 90 / RW / PAC 93 / SHO 86 / PAS 81 / DRI 90 / DEF 45 / PHY 75  

• 4 Star Skill Moves
• 3 Star Weak Foot

Salah is another attacking behemoth with a high work rate and vital Pace stat at 93. The winger has powerful stats across the board, with a handy 75 in Physical giving him the power to push past defenders and muscle his way into a goal-scoring position. With a brilliant 92 in Reactions, 94 Acceleration and 91 Finishing, Salah is extremely dangerous in one-on-one situations with the keeper but leverages his 81 Passing stat to be able to set up a striker with ease too. Salah’s versatile stats prop him up as the second-best Right Winger in the game just behind Messi, making him highly sought-after in Ultimate Team.

10 Sadio Mane

OVR 90 / LW / PAC 94 / SHO 85 / PAS 80 / DRI 90 / DEF 44 / PHY 76  

• 4 Star Skill Moves
• 4 Star Weak Foot

Liverpool’s Mane has deservedly cracked the top 10 this year and offers some staggering stats including 94 Pace and 90 Dribbling. He’s a perfect complement to Salah on the Left Wing due to their similar statistics, but pips him with a few critical stats, like his four-star Weak Foot, 84 Shot Power and 84 Heading Accuracy. With a high work rate and a deadly right foot, Mane is perfect for leaving defenders in the dust during a hard-fought counter-attack and should be a top priority for players with teams in the 4-3-3 formation.

FIFA 21 Player Ratings 11-100

• 11 - Marc-Andre Ter Stegen OVR 90 / GK / 90 88 85 88 90 43 88

• 12 - Alisson / OVR 90 / GK / 86 88 85 89 52 91

• 13 - Sergio Ramos / OVR 89 / CB / 71 70 76 74 88 85

• 14 - Manuel Neuer / OVR 89 / GK / 87 87 91 89 56 86

• 15 - Sergio Aguero / OVR 89 / ST / 78 90 77 88 33 73

• 16 - Karim Benzema / OVR 89 / CF / 74 85 81 87 40 76

• 17 - Casemiro / OVR 89 / CDM / 65 73 76 73 86 91

• 18 - Thibaut Courtois / OVR 89 / GK / 84 89 74 88 46 85

• 19 - Joshua Kimmich / OVR 88 / CDM / 71 72 86 84 81 79

• 20 - Toni Kroos / OVR 88 / CM / 54 81 91 81 71 69

• 21 - Harry Kane / OVR 88 / ST / 68 91 80 81 47 83

• 22 - Eden Hazard / OVR 88 / LW / 88 82 83 92 35 66

• 23 - Raheem Sterling / OVR 88 / LW / 93 81 79 90 45 67

• 24 - Paulo Dybala / OVR 88 / CF / 85 85 84 91 43 63

• 25 - Ederson / OVR 88 / GK / 86 82 93 88 64 86

• 26 - N’Golo Kante / OVR 88 / CDM / 77 66 76 81 86 82

• 27 - Samir Handanovic / OVR 88 / GK / 88 85 73 89 53 89

• 28 - Kalidou Koulibaly / OVR 88 / CB / 75 28 55 69 89 86

• 29 - Luka Modric / OVR 87 / CM / 73 76 89 88 71 66

• 30 - Ciro Immobile / OVR 87 / ST / 84 88 67 83 39 77

• 31 - Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang / OVR 87 / ST / 93 86 75 81 38 69

• 32 - Bruno Fernandes / OVR 87 / CAM / 77 83 88 85 68 75

• 33 - Angel Di Maria / OVR 87 / RW / 83 81 85 87 48 68

• 34 - Jadon Sancho / OVR 87 / RM / 83 74 81 91 37 64

• 35 - Heung Min Son / OVR 87 / LM / 88 86 80 87 43 69

• 36 - Luis Suarez / OVR 87 / ST / 70 90 82 83 51 83

• 37 - Trent Alexander-Arnold / OVR 87 / RB / 80 66 87 80 80 71

• 38 - Antoine Griezmann / OVR 87 / ST / 79 85 84 88 57 72

• 39 - Aymeric Laporte / OVR 87 / CB / 63 50 72 69 88 81

• 40 - Wojciech Szczęsny / OVR 87 / GK / 86 82 73 88 49 87

• 41 - Roberto Firmino / OVR 87 / CF / 77 80 81 90 61 78

• 42 - Bernardo Silva / OVR 87 / RW / 81 77 83 92 51 67

• 43 - Andrew Robertson / OVR 87 / LB / 83 62 80 80 81 76

• 44 - Fabinho / OVR 87 / CDM / 67 69 79 77 85 83

• 45 - Keylor Navas / OVR 87 / GK / 90 81 75 90 54 82

• 46 - Sergio Busquets / OVR 87 / CDM / 42 62 80 81 83 77

• 47 - Giorgio Chiellini / OVR 87 / CB / 66 46 58 62 90 79

• 48 - Hugo Lloris / OVR 87 / GK / 89 82 68 90 64 84

• 49 - Thomas Muller / OVR 86 / CAM / 68 82 82 78 56 71

• 50 - Jamie Vardy / OVR 86 / ST / 88 85 66 79 55 75

• 51 - Paul Pogba / OVR 86 / CM / 73 81 86 85 66 85

• 52 - Marco Verratti / OVR 86 / CM / 64 60 85 90 79 67

• 53 - Pique / OVR 86 / CB / 57 61 71 69 86 80

• 54 - Alejandro Gomez / OVR 86 / CAM / 90 79 84 88 39 55

• 55 - Jordan Henderson / OVR 86 / CDM / 65 74 84 79 81 82

• 56 - Carvajal / OVR 86 / RB / 80 54 78 81 82 80

• 57 - Mats Hummels / OVR 86 / CB / 58 58 77 73 89 77

• 58 - David Silva / OVR 86 / CAM / 64 74 88 88 52 55

• 59 - De Gea / OVR 86 / GK / 88 81 78 89 57 82

• 60 - Raphael Varane / OVR 86 / CB / 82 49 64 65 87 82

• 61 - Jordi Alba / OVR 86 / LB / 88 69 81 83 78 72

• 62 - Yann Sommer / OVR 86 / GK / 80 86 85 85 50 87

• 63 - Serge Gnabry / OVR 85 / RM / 82 83 78 85 43 70

• 64 - Marquinhos / OVR 85 / CB / 72 41 73 71 87 78

• 65 - Romelu Lukaku / OVR 85 / ST / 81 83 76 75 38 84

• 66 - Thiago / OVR 85 / CM / 64 72 85 90 70 62

• 67 - Kai Havertz / OVR 85 / CAM / 84 81 79 85 45 67

• 68 - Luis Alberto / OVR 85 / CAM / 74 76 86 85 58 59

• 69 - Riyad Mahrez / OVR 85 / RW / 83 79 81 90 38 59

• 70 - Memphis Depay / OVR 85 / CF / 86 83 81 83 32 80

• 71 - Gianluigi Donnarumma / OVR 85 / GK / 89 81 76 89 49 83

• 72 - Hakim Ziyech / OVR 85 / CAM / 80 76 87 83 50 66

• 73 - Marco Reus / OVR 85 / CAM / 80 86 84 85 45 63

• 74 - Timo Werner / OVR 85 / ST / 91 85 69 84 35 71

• 75 - Sergej Milinkovic-Savic / OVR 85 / CM / 69 79 80 83 79 85

• 76 - Georginio Wijnaldum / OVR 85 / CM / 76 75 81 86 78 79

• 77 - Matthijs De Ligt / OVR 85 / CB / 72 59 66 69 85 84

• 78 - Thiago Silva / OVR 85 / CB / 59 54 72 72 86 78

• 79 - Ricardo Pereira / OVR 85 / RB / 83 66 79 82 81 76

• 80 - Lorenzo Insigne / OVR 85 / LW / 88 78 83 91 36 44

• 81 - Miralem Pjanic / OVR 85 / CM / 67 68 87 85 75 67

• 82 - Marcus Rashford / OVR 85 / LM / 91 83 78 85 45 78

• 83 - Leroy Sane / OVR 85 / LM / 93 81 79 85 38 67

• 84 - Parejo / OVR 85 / CM / 50 83 90 81 71 69

• 85 - Milan Skriniar / OVR 85 / CB / 69 41 59 66 87 81

• 86 - Koke / OVR 85 / CM / 67 75 85 81 76 80

• 87 - Dries Mertens / OVR 85 / CF / 86 82 80 89 35 51

• 88 - Bernd Leno / OVR 85 / GK / 85 83 80 86 55 84

• 89 - Clement Lenglet / OVR 85 / CB / 74 45 67 66 87 81

• 90 - Leonardo Bonucci / OVR 85 / CB / 60 58 69 71 87 77

• 91 - Frenkie De Jong / OVR 85 / CM / 80 64 84 87 76 77

• 92 - Rodri / OVR 85 / CDM / 65 68 77 77 82 80

• 93 - Peter Gulacsi / OVR 85 / GK / 84 85 82 86 43 84

• 94 - Toby Alderweireld / OVR 85 / CB / 63 55 72 68 87 79

• 95 - Diego Godin / OVR 85 / CB / 57 48 64 62 87 79

• 96 - Mauro Icardi / OVR 85 / ST / 73 85 65 78 36 68

• 97 - Kyle Walker / OVR 85 / CB / 92 63 76 77 80 82

• 98 - Alex Sandro / OVR 85 / LB / 81 65 77 80 81 81

• 99 - Christian Eriksen / OVR 85 / CAM / 72 81 88 82 53 63

• 100 - Erling Haaland / OVR 84 / ST / 84 87 63 76 43 85

[poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

If you’re looking to put together an unstoppable Ultimate Team, you’re likely on the lookout for the best players in FIFA 21. Figuring out which footballers have the top in-game statistics can help you plan out your transfer market trades and create optimistic concept squads for the future of your virtual club. It also means you can pin down the players you need in the transfer window when you kick off your Career Mode.

We’re going to run through the statistics behind the top 100 players in the game, with context added for the top 10 footballers. Follow along with our handy guide to figure out how your favourite player stacks up against the competition.

Here are the top 100 players in FIFA 21.

1 Lionel Messi

OVR 93 / RW / PAC 85 / SHO 92 / PAS 91 / DRI 95 / DEF 38 / PHY 65  

• 4 Star Skill Moves
• 4 Star Weak Foot

Barcelona’s Lionel Messi is one of the most revered players in professional football, and as a result, the Argentine winger stands tall as the top-rated player in FIFA 21. Messi maintains the throne after leapfrogging Cristiano Ronaldo to clinch the top spot in FIFA 20. Messi is devastating in front of goal with his 92 Shooting stat and makes short work of defenders with a remarkable 95 in Dribbling. His four-star skill moves complement his blistering pace, allowing him to outwit defenders in front of goal and score goals with flair and finesse. Given his legendary status, Messi is incredibly expensive in Ultimate Team, so start saving early and pray the pack gods favour you!

2 Cristiano Ronaldo

OVR 92 / ST / PAC 89 / SHO 93 / PAS 81 / DRI 89 / DEF 35 / PHY 77  

• 5 Star Skill Moves
• 4 Star Weak Foot

Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo takes spot two in the top 100 once again this year, as the striker takes a minor knock to his Pace, dropping from 90 Pace to 89, dragging his overall rating down to 92 from 93. Meanwhile, his Physical stat has been raised to 78, and his Passing stat has been totted up to 82. With his 5-star skill moves and incredible free-kick capabilities, Ronaldo is an absolute monster on the pitch even as he gets older. The striker still plays for Piemonte Calcio in FIFA 21, as EA is yet to reclaim the rights to Serie A team Juventus. His greater physicality allows him to press through defences and score goals with style.

3 Robert Lewandowski

OVR 91 / ST / PAC 78 / SHO 91/ PAS 78 / DRI 86 / DEF 43 / PHY 82  

• 4 Star Skill Moves
• 4 Star Weak Foot

Polish striker Robert Lewandowski takes third place this year, a significant leap from FIFA 20 where he took place 15 in the top 100. Lewandowksi plays upfront for Bayern Munich and has an incredible attacking work rate, which is complemented by his deadly 91 Shooting stat. With 82 in Physical and a handy 86 Dribbling, Lewandowski is a workhorse and a significant threat for slow defenders trying to pin him down in the box. He’s not as fast as many of his contemporaries this far up the board, but his strength is unmatched, so if you’re looking for raw power, get this guy on your Transfer Target list.

4 Kevin De Bruyne

OVR 91 / CAM / PAC 76 / SHO 86 / PAS 93 / DRI 88 / DEF 64 / PHY 78  

• 4 Star Skill Moves
• 5 Star Weak Foot

Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne is a deadly midfielder with the best Passing stat in the game at 93. If you need a player who can set up strikers with deadly precision while also being able to put away goals on his own terms, De Bruyne is your man. The Belgian beast also has a five-star Weak Foot skill, meaning he can strike with confidence with his left foot as well as his right. His 86 Shooting stat and 91 Long Shots stat means that you can fire at the keeper from outside the box and still have a good chance of scoring when you’re not embarrassing defenders with his 88 Dribbling stat.

5 Neymar Jr

OVR 91 / LW / PAC 91 / SHO 85 / PAS 86 / DRI 94 / DEF 36 / PHY 59

• 5 Star Skill Moves
• 5 Star Weak Foot

Paris Saint-Germain’s Neymar Jr. has slipped to fifth place from third in the official rankings since FIFA 20, but that doesn’t mean he’s any less dangerous on the left-wing. The Brazilian attacker has 96 Agility and 94 Dribbling, which work well with his five-star skill moves to make him incredibly hard to dispossess when he’s on the approach. If you make use of FIFA 21’s Agile Dribbling system, Neymar Jr should be on your hit list. His physicality isn’t much to shout home about, but with 80+ stats in Passing and Shooting and 91 Pace, Neymar is still one of the most dangerous players in the game.

6 Jan Oblak

OVR 91 / GK / DIV 87 / HAN 92 / KIC 78 / REF 90 / SPE 50 / POS 90  

• 1 Star Skill Moves
• 3 Star Weak Foot

Simply put, Atletico Madrid’s Jan Oblak is the best goalkeeper in FIFA 21. The Slovenian shot-saver boasts a 92 Handling stat and a 90 in Reflexes, so he can pounce about the net in a catlike fashion, keeping goals out as the last line of defence for your team. With 90 Positioning, you can rely on Oblak to adapt to set pieces and move into space to stop the ball. Given his status, Oblak is extremely expensive in Ultimate Team, so definitely someone to save for if you can’t put up with shoddy goalkeeping.

7 Virgil Van Dijk

OVR 90 / CB / PAC 76 / SHO 60 / PAS 71 / DRI 72 / DEF 91 / PHY 86  

• 2 Star Skill Moves
• 3 Star Weak Foot

Much like Oblak, Liverpool’s Virgil Van Dijk is the best player in his class, with the centre back boasting the top Defending skill in FIFA 21 at 91. With 86 Physical and 76 Pace to back that up, you can rely on Van Dijk to stop counter-attacks and use his 93 Marking stat to protect the goal at all costs. With solid stats in Interceptions and a surprising amount of Shot Power, Van Dijk makes for a formidable defender with enough ability to knock in an open goal if necessary, if your primary attack fails.

8 Kylian Mbappe

OVR 90 / ST / PAC 96 / SHO 86 / PAS 78 / DRI 91 / DEF 39 / PHY 76  

• 5 Star Skill Moves
• 4 Star Weak Foot

French wunderkind Mbappe is the cover star of FIFA 21 and comfortably makes his way into the top 10 with stellar skills such as a blistering 96 Pace. With tremendous acceleration, Mbappe is arguably the most agile striker in the game, with a high attacking work rate and five-star skills to beat defenders when he decides to slow his roll, use his 91 Dribbling and shoot. His fantastic stamina stat will also help him persist throughout long matches, and his affinity for volleys make the Paris Saint-Germain striker a force of nature up-front. Just watch out for his less-than-subtle price tag.

9 Mohamed Salah

OVR 90 / RW / PAC 93 / SHO 86 / PAS 81 / DRI 90 / DEF 45 / PHY 75  

• 4 Star Skill Moves
• 3 Star Weak Foot

Salah is another attacking behemoth with a high work rate and vital Pace stat at 93. The winger has powerful stats across the board, with a handy 75 in Physical giving him the power to push past defenders and muscle his way into a goal-scoring position. With a brilliant 92 in Reactions, 94 Acceleration and 91 Finishing, Salah is extremely dangerous in one-on-one situations with the keeper but leverages his 81 Passing stat to be able to set up a striker with ease too. Salah’s versatile stats prop him up as the second-best Right Winger in the game just behind Messi, making him highly sought-after in Ultimate Team.

10 Sadio Mane

OVR 90 / LW / PAC 94 / SHO 85 / PAS 80 / DRI 90 / DEF 44 / PHY 76  

• 4 Star Skill Moves
• 4 Star Weak Foot

Liverpool’s Mane has deservedly cracked the top 10 this year and offers some staggering stats including 94 Pace and 90 Dribbling. He’s a perfect complement to Salah on the Left Wing due to their similar statistics, but pips him with a few critical stats, like his four-star Weak Foot, 84 Shot Power and 84 Heading Accuracy. With a high work rate and a deadly right foot, Mane is perfect for leaving defenders in the dust during a hard-fought counter-attack and should be a top priority for players with teams in the 4-3-3 formation.

FIFA 21 Player Ratings 11-100

• 11 - Marc-Andre Ter Stegen OVR 90 / GK / 90 88 85 88 90 43 88

• 12 - Alisson / OVR 90 / GK / 86 88 85 89 52 91

• 13 - Sergio Ramos / OVR 89 / CB / 71 70 76 74 88 85

• 14 - Manuel Neuer / OVR 89 / GK / 87 87 91 89 56 86

• 15 - Sergio Aguero / OVR 89 / ST / 78 90 77 88 33 73

• 16 - Karim Benzema / OVR 89 / CF / 74 85 81 87 40 76

• 17 - Casemiro / OVR 89 / CDM / 65 73 76 73 86 91

• 18 - Thibaut Courtois / OVR 89 / GK / 84 89 74 88 46 85

• 19 - Joshua Kimmich / OVR 88 / CDM / 71 72 86 84 81 79

• 20 - Toni Kroos / OVR 88 / CM / 54 81 91 81 71 69

• 21 - Harry Kane / OVR 88 / ST / 68 91 80 81 47 83

• 22 - Eden Hazard / OVR 88 / LW / 88 82 83 92 35 66

• 23 - Raheem Sterling / OVR 88 / LW / 93 81 79 90 45 67

• 24 - Paulo Dybala / OVR 88 / CF / 85 85 84 91 43 63

• 25 - Ederson / OVR 88 / GK / 86 82 93 88 64 86

• 26 - N’Golo Kante / OVR 88 / CDM / 77 66 76 81 86 82

• 27 - Samir Handanovic / OVR 88 / GK / 88 85 73 89 53 89

• 28 - Kalidou Koulibaly / OVR 88 / CB / 75 28 55 69 89 86

• 29 - Luka Modric / OVR 87 / CM / 73 76 89 88 71 66

• 30 - Ciro Immobile / OVR 87 / ST / 84 88 67 83 39 77

• 31 - Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang / OVR 87 / ST / 93 86 75 81 38 69

• 32 - Bruno Fernandes / OVR 87 / CAM / 77 83 88 85 68 75

• 33 - Angel Di Maria / OVR 87 / RW / 83 81 85 87 48 68

• 34 - Jadon Sancho / OVR 87 / RM / 83 74 81 91 37 64

• 35 - Heung Min Son / OVR 87 / LM / 88 86 80 87 43 69

• 36 - Luis Suarez / OVR 87 / ST / 70 90 82 83 51 83

• 37 - Trent Alexander-Arnold / OVR 87 / RB / 80 66 87 80 80 71

• 38 - Antoine Griezmann / OVR 87 / ST / 79 85 84 88 57 72

• 39 - Aymeric Laporte / OVR 87 / CB / 63 50 72 69 88 81

• 40 - Wojciech Szczęsny / OVR 87 / GK / 86 82 73 88 49 87

• 41 - Roberto Firmino / OVR 87 / CF / 77 80 81 90 61 78

• 42 - Bernardo Silva / OVR 87 / RW / 81 77 83 92 51 67

• 43 - Andrew Robertson / OVR 87 / LB / 83 62 80 80 81 76

• 44 - Fabinho / OVR 87 / CDM / 67 69 79 77 85 83

• 45 - Keylor Navas / OVR 87 / GK / 90 81 75 90 54 82

• 46 - Sergio Busquets / OVR 87 / CDM / 42 62 80 81 83 77

• 47 - Giorgio Chiellini / OVR 87 / CB / 66 46 58 62 90 79

• 48 - Hugo Lloris / OVR 87 / GK / 89 82 68 90 64 84

• 49 - Thomas Muller / OVR 86 / CAM / 68 82 82 78 56 71

• 50 - Jamie Vardy / OVR 86 / ST / 88 85 66 79 55 75

• 51 - Paul Pogba / OVR 86 / CM / 73 81 86 85 66 85

• 52 - Marco Verratti / OVR 86 / CM / 64 60 85 90 79 67

• 53 - Pique / OVR 86 / CB / 57 61 71 69 86 80

• 54 - Alejandro Gomez / OVR 86 / CAM / 90 79 84 88 39 55

• 55 - Jordan Henderson / OVR 86 / CDM / 65 74 84 79 81 82

• 56 - Carvajal / OVR 86 / RB / 80 54 78 81 82 80

• 57 - Mats Hummels / OVR 86 / CB / 58 58 77 73 89 77

• 58 - David Silva / OVR 86 / CAM / 64 74 88 88 52 55

• 59 - De Gea / OVR 86 / GK / 88 81 78 89 57 82

• 60 - Raphael Varane / OVR 86 / CB / 82 49 64 65 87 82

• 61 - Jordi Alba / OVR 86 / LB / 88 69 81 83 78 72

• 62 - Yann Sommer / OVR 86 / GK / 80 86 85 85 50 87

• 63 - Serge Gnabry / OVR 85 / RM / 82 83 78 85 43 70

• 64 - Marquinhos / OVR 85 / CB / 72 41 73 71 87 78

• 65 - Romelu Lukaku / OVR 85 / ST / 81 83 76 75 38 84

• 66 - Thiago / OVR 85 / CM / 64 72 85 90 70 62

• 67 - Kai Havertz / OVR 85 / CAM / 84 81 79 85 45 67

• 68 - Luis Alberto / OVR 85 / CAM / 74 76 86 85 58 59

• 69 - Riyad Mahrez / OVR 85 / RW / 83 79 81 90 38 59

• 70 - Memphis Depay / OVR 85 / CF / 86 83 81 83 32 80

• 71 - Gianluigi Donnarumma / OVR 85 / GK / 89 81 76 89 49 83

• 72 - Hakim Ziyech / OVR 85 / CAM / 80 76 87 83 50 66

• 73 - Marco Reus / OVR 85 / CAM / 80 86 84 85 45 63

• 74 - Timo Werner / OVR 85 / ST / 91 85 69 84 35 71

• 75 - Sergej Milinkovic-Savic / OVR 85 / CM / 69 79 80 83 79 85

• 76 - Georginio Wijnaldum / OVR 85 / CM / 76 75 81 86 78 79

• 77 - Matthijs De Ligt / OVR 85 / CB / 72 59 66 69 85 84

• 78 - Thiago Silva / OVR 85 / CB / 59 54 72 72 86 78

• 79 - Ricardo Pereira / OVR 85 / RB / 83 66 79 82 81 76

• 80 - Lorenzo Insigne / OVR 85 / LW / 88 78 83 91 36 44

• 81 - Miralem Pjanic / OVR 85 / CM / 67 68 87 85 75 67

• 82 - Marcus Rashford / OVR 85 / LM / 91 83 78 85 45 78

• 83 - Leroy Sane / OVR 85 / LM / 93 81 79 85 38 67

• 84 - Parejo / OVR 85 / CM / 50 83 90 81 71 69

• 85 - Milan Skriniar / OVR 85 / CB / 69 41 59 66 87 81

• 86 - Koke / OVR 85 / CM / 67 75 85 81 76 80

• 87 - Dries Mertens / OVR 85 / CF / 86 82 80 89 35 51

• 88 - Bernd Leno / OVR 85 / GK / 85 83 80 86 55 84

• 89 - Clement Lenglet / OVR 85 / CB / 74 45 67 66 87 81

• 90 - Leonardo Bonucci / OVR 85 / CB / 60 58 69 71 87 77

• 91 - Frenkie De Jong / OVR 85 / CM / 80 64 84 87 76 77

• 92 - Rodri / OVR 85 / CDM / 65 68 77 77 82 80

• 93 - Peter Gulacsi / OVR 85 / GK / 84 85 82 86 43 84

• 94 - Toby Alderweireld / OVR 85 / CB / 63 55 72 68 87 79

• 95 - Diego Godin / OVR 85 / CB / 57 48 64 62 87 79

• 96 - Mauro Icardi / OVR 85 / ST / 73 85 65 78 36 68

• 97 - Kyle Walker / OVR 85 / CB / 92 63 76 77 80 82

• 98 - Alex Sandro / OVR 85 / LB / 81 65 77 80 81 81

• 99 - Christian Eriksen / OVR 85 / CAM / 72 81 88 82 53 63

• 100 - Erling Haaland / OVR 84 / ST / 84 87 63 76 43 85

[poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Axiom Verge 2 has been delayed, according to developer Tom Happ. And while there’s no new release date, Hopp hopes to deliver his Metroidvania sequel in the first half of 2021. In a new blog post, Happ apologized for the delay writing, “About this time last year, I released the first (and still to date only) trailer for Axiom Verge 2, which ended boldly with the words ‘COMING FALL 2020’ in all caps. Alas, despite doing everything I could to make good on my prediction, it will not come to pass,” Happ writes. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/10/axiom-verge-2-announcement-trailer"] Happ says some unforeseen development factors have led to the delay. For one, enemies are more sophisticated in Axiom Verge 2, as well as improvements to the Address Disruptor tool have contributed to the longer development time. Of course, there’s the COVID-19 pandemic, which Happ says has affected his development time as it has many other developers. Still, Axiom Verge 2 is on the way so in the meantime check out IGN’s review of Axiom Verge. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.