The first trailer for EA's final FIFA game is here, and fans of the franchise will be drooling (or dribbling) over it.
FIFA 23 marks the end of an era between EA and its 30-year partnership with FIFA. Thanks to the high licensing fees, FIFA 23 will be the swansong of the EA Sports series. Which is a shame, given the leaps and bounds the studio has made in terms of gameplay – as well as finally including women's club teams for the first time.
EA will still be churning out an annual soccer series under the rebranded EA Sports FC title, so it's not too devastating. All of your favorite features will live on under the new moniker, but for now, let's take a look at what awaits in EA's last ever FIFA title, which launches September 30 and is available to pre-order now.
The highlights
Unless you're particularly nostalgic over the franchise name, there's nothing to be too glum about. Especially with everything FIFA 23 is packing in, content-wise. FIFA 22's Hypermotion technology has been iterated on and improved with Hypermotion2; women's club teams are making their FIFA debut; international cups for both men and women will be included; and cross-play features will be available across multiple game modes.
Nick Wlodyka, SVP & GM for EA Sports FC says FIFA 23 has "pushed the boundaries of realism" thanks to Hypermotion2, utilizing "millions of data points" to create "new animations in real-time." In terms of gameplay, that means players will be getting "the most natural and realistic motion in football gaming, and when combined with the inclusion of both men’s and women’s World Cups, women’s club football, and cross-play features, will immerse players and football fans around the world for years to come."
Not too many years, presumably. Once the license has been dropped I imagine EA will want to usher people over to its new series, instead. It's also worth noting that as with last year's FIFA 22, Hypermotion tech is only available on PC and current-gen consoles.
Speaking of women's clubs, FIFA 23 features the Barclays Women’s Super League and Division 1 Arkema. There are over 30 leagues in total, with the title being the only one that boasts the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League, CONMEBOL Libertadores, CONMEBOL Sudamericana, Premier League, Bundesliga, and LaLiga Santander in the same game.
Another FIFA first is the ability to play both men's and women's FIFA World Cup, with the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia, and New Zealand 2023.
On the crossplay front, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC players will all be able to knock football boots, as it were. While PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game will be crossplay compatible with one another.
They think it's all over...
FIFA 23 will close the book on EA and FIFA's licensing deal but for now, FIFA fans can enjoy the usual, annual hype.
The game is releasing on Friday, September 30. Eager beavers can get early access with the FIFA 23 Ultimate Edition from Tuesday, September 27. Of course, there are additional monthly in-game rewards to be had for EA Play members post-launch.
You can head to the official FIFA 23 pre-order page to secure your copy of the game now. There's a Standard Edition as well as Ultimate Edition, each coming with their own pre-order bonuses, which you can check out below along with the prices:
FIFA 23 Standard Edition
- Last-gen console version and PC: $59.99 / £59.99 / AU$99.95
- Current-gen console version: $69.99 / £69.99 / AU$109.95
- Team of the Week 1 Player Item
- Kylian Mbappe Loan Item for FIFA Ultimate Team matches
- FUT Ambassador Loan Player Pick for 3 FIFA Ultimate Team matches
- Choose between Davies, Son, and Vinicius Jr.
- Career Mode Homegrown Talent
FIFA 23 Ultimate Edition
- Console: $99.99 / £89.99 / AU$149.95
- PC: $99.99 / £79.99 / AU$99.95
- Limited time only: FIFA World Cup FUT Heroes Player Item
- 3 days Early Access
- Dual Entitlement (i.e. both last and current-gen console versions)
- Ones to Watch Player Item
- 4,600 FIFA Points
- Team of the Week 1 Player Item
- Kylian Mbappe Loan Item for 5 FIFA Ultimate Team matches
- FUT Ambassador Loan Player Pick for 3 FIFA Ultimate Team matches
- Choose between Davies, Son, and Vinicius Jr.
- Career Mode Homegrown Talent
Take the PC prices as ballpark for now, as there are multiple storefronts, and these prices were pulled from this handy Steam store prices page.
