We are close to the release of a brand new iteration of Fifa – and the final game EA Sports will make under that title.
The deal between football’s governing body and the gaming studio is coming to an end. EA will continue to make football games under the new name EA Sports FC from 2023, while Fifa is planning to launch new games with third-party publishers and developers.
Here’s everything you need to know about the final EA Sports Fifa games, from release date to price and features.
EA has confirmed that Fifa 23 will be released on 30 September 2022. However, those who purchase the ultimate edition will, as usual, get early access, and be able to play from 27 September.
The game will be available on PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S, PC and Google Stadia.
The Fifa 23 Ultimate Team web app will launch on Wednesday 21 September at 6pm UK time. The app has become very popular, as it allows Ultimate Team players to access their clubs, open packs and organise their squads on their phones.
The standard edition of Fifa 23 will cost £69.99 on PlayStation and Xbox, and £59.99 on PC. The ultimate edition costs £89.99 on console and £79.99 on PC. Along with early access, the ultimate edition also gets you:
You can pre-order Fifa 23 right now from EA’s online store. Websites including Game, Amazon and Very also have pre-orders live for the various versions.
Mbappé and Chelsea’s Sam Kerr will be on the cover of Fifa 23. Kerr’s inclusion is a nod to the most significant addition to the game – the inclusion of women’s club football.
EA has also spoken about its new HyperMotion2 technology, which will not be available on PS4 or Xbox One. This technology is supposed to make the game’s physics even more realistic.
Set-pieces have been revamped, and Ultimate Team’s chemistry system has been overhauled.
Cross-play has been enabled for the first time, meaning people can finally play online against their friends who have different consoles.
Here are the 23 best players in Fifa 23 by overall ranking:
Starting next year, EA’s football games will no longer be associated with Fifa. EA will continue to make football games under the new name EA Sports FC from 2023.
The developer said its licensing deals remain in place with 19,000 players, 700 teams, and more than 30 leagues from around the world, including the Premier League and La Liga.
Its deal with Uefa also remains, so the Champions League will continue to be part of the games, though the World Cup will not feature.
“The world of football and the world of entertainment are changing, and they clash within our product,” David Jackson, vice president of EA Sports, told BBC News.
“In the future our players will demand of us the ability to be more expansive in that offering. At the moment, we engage in play as a primary form of interactive experience. Soon, watching and creating content are going to be equally as important for fans.”
He added the new arrangement would allow the firm to build a “brand for the future”.
It also means EA is free to sign its own brand agreements with clubs, players or other firms, keeping its hold on the official licences that let it recreate real teams, unlike rival titles like Pro Evolution Soccer.
EA signalled months ago the relationship would end. The company’s current contract was set to expire after the Qatar World Cup, with Fifa seeking increased revenue, and EA pushing to expand the Fifa brand into new areas such as NFTs and highlights of real games.
Fifa was seeking at least double the $150m (£121m) it gets annually from EA Sports, its biggest commercial partner, a Reuters report said, adding the two sides had different expectations of what should be included in a new agreement.
EA and Fifa have agreed to continue their partnership until the Women’s World Cup next summer, which is being held in Australia and New Zealand.
Fifa has said it will launch new football video games developed with third-party studios and publishers.
Several new “non-simulation games are already under production” and are due to launch later this year.
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