2018 FIFA World Cup Russia is a free update to FIFA 18 and out in May

With all the talk and controversy surrounding loot-box cash grabs in gaming, EA has decided to buck the trend by announcing that it will be making 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia a free update to FIFA 18, not a standalone game. 

Obviously this means that you will need a copy of FIFA 18 on Xbox One, PS4, PC or Nintendo Switch but once you have this a download will be available come 29 May. 

The update adds an officially-licensed World Cup mode. So expect teams, stadiums and kits - alongside the official match ball and trophy. 

Game modes included in the update are: FIFA World Cup Kick-Off; FIFA World Cup Tournament; and FIFA World Cup Ultimate Team. 

Iconic players

There is a custom tournament mode and all 12 Russian stadiums are available through the update, as well as cinematic scenes so you can dream and see what it’s like for your preferred team to win the World Cup (yes, even England).

It won’t just be new players that take center stage but a gaggle of the “most iconic player’s from the tournament’s history” - so expect the likes of Kleberson, Roque Junior and Simone Barone to be right up there.

To whet your appetite, there is a trailer for the game which features a little-known star of football, called Cristiano Ronaldo. We reckon he’s going to go far. 

Oh, and if you have still yet to buy FIFA 18, our review reckons it’s “still the best football sim money can buy.”

Marc Chacksfield

Marc Chacksfield is the Editor In Chief, Shortlist.com at DC Thomson. He started out life as a movie writer for numerous (now defunct) magazines and soon found himself online - editing a gaggle of gadget sites, including TechRadar, Digital Camera World and Tom's Guide UK. At Shortlist you'll find him mostly writing about movies and tech, so no change there then.