FIFA 23 Early Access is coming to an end, marking the start of hostilities for all other players. We take stock of the game’s release time and all the useful information a little further down in this article;
[Mis à jour le 29 septembre 2022 à 15h01] Electronic Arts is once again back at the end of September to provide us with its final annual release of the famous FIFA license. The most popular of sports simulations offers us its twenty-ninth episode, the one which will also be the great final season of its history. Indeed, the break was consummated between the International Football Federation and the American publisher, marking FIFA 23 as the last game in its line. In the meantime, FIFA 23 is already here, having opened the doors to its early access last Tuesday, and officially releasing this Friday. All the useful information about FIFA 23, its release time and its content, is a little further down in this article.
For FIFA fans, the time has come. FIFA 23 is officially released on the night of Thursday September 29 to Friday September 30, directly on PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. A boon for football fans who will be able to discover the new features of this latest game of the license. In the meantime, FIFA’s early access ends in a few hours. If you are ever an Xbox Game Pass or EA Play subscriber, here are our little tips for enjoying the game right now:
For the moment, French-speaking reviews of FIFA 23 are quite limited. We still find the criticism of JVC, which gives it a good 16/20. The webjournal salutes the innovations of Hypermotion 2, the new system of set pieces (which takes up the principle of previous FIFA games), and the good part given to women’s football. The FUT mode remains true to itself, both competitive and rewarding for veteran players, and difficult to access for novices. Across the Channel, the Guardian he offers 4 out of 5 starspraising the Hypermotion 2’s animations, the realism of the game situations, and slightly criticizing its microtransactions system.
For IGN France, the game did not convince, the newspaper gave it the score of 6/10 : “Like a decisive goal canceled for an offside position, FIFA 23 misses the mark. It manages to sublimate a definitively aging Frostbite engine and the many animations added via Hypermotion 2 make the slow motions striking. Unfortunately, due to inconsistent and buggy collisions, a game that seems laid on rails and based on speed and depth, the gameplay is definitely not up to par. The addition of the powerful shot sounds like the final blow on the simulation to switch definitively to an arcade game.” Indeed, FIFA can sometimes seem very close to arcade games and less to high-end sports simulation. For TheGamer, same note, 6/10 : “FIFA 23 is exactly the same as it always was, maybe for the last time.“
Divided opinions are what characterizes the tests and reviews of FIFA 23. For now, the game peaks at 78/100 on Metacritic, average of 22 tests carried out on its PS5 version. A rather special score when you consider the FIFA 22 rating, which is strictly identical. Proof that the new releases of FIFA are quite divisive, with some acknowledging the impact of technical innovations on gameplay, others criticizing the immobility or lack of risk taken by the license, a gimmick that seems to be spreading in all sports game franchises, including NBA 2K. But from the point of view of Electronic Arts, or 2K Games, their licenses are selling like hot cakes, and are the source of an astronomical amount of microtransactions, so why revolutionize a format that works?
Electronic Arts offers two versions of the game, the Standard version and the Ultimate version. The latter contains various bonuses and advantages that we detail just below, but also the possibility of upgrading your game from an old-gen version to a next-gen version. Concretely, if you buy the game on PS4 in Ultimate edition, your switch to the PS5 version will cost you nothing, the same for Xbox One and Xbox Series players. An expensive but good option if you plan to sell your old console soon to switch to the new generation.
The prices are fixed at: version Standard (79,99 € PS5 and Xbox Series and 69,99 € PC, PS4 and Xbox One) and version Ultimate (99,99 €). The Ultimate version includes various benefits, such as a FUT World Cup 2022 hero, 3 days of early access to the game, the possibility to upgrade to a next-gen version for free (if you buy it on PS4 or Xbox One), a FUT item to watch, Mbappé on loan on FUT, 4600 FIFA points, a Local Talent in Career mode, and a FUT Ambassador on loan.
New in FIFA 23
Although it is again a cross-gen console game, FIFA 23 has the ambition of a next-gen game, especially on the technical level. EA emphasized its motion-capture system with the arrival of Hypermotion 2 in FIFA 23. This motion-capture technique was first introduced in FIFA 22 (on PS5 and Xbox Series), and offered more fluidity and realism in the interactions between the players, the ball and the pitch. Unfortunately, this feature is once again reserved for next-gen consoles, in addition to PC versions joining the PS5 and Xbox Series in the next-gen camp this year.
A feature eagerly awaited by players is also making its debut with FIFA 23: crossplay. Indeed, for the first time in a few years, PC, PS5 and Xbox Series players will share the same version of the game, the one including the technical improvements (Hypermotion 2, improved AI), and will be able to compete online thanks to to crossplay. A boon for PC players who will be able to take advantage of the excellent capabilities of their machines while accessing the cutting-edge gameplay offered by the next-gen version of FIFA. Crossplay affects all FIFA 23 multiplayer modes, and also brings PS4 and Xbox One players together.
2022 and 2023 will also be World Cup hosting periods with the competition being held for men in Qatar and for women in Australia next year. EA intends to capitalize on these two events by offering players the opportunity to participate in the two World Cups later in the year. These playlists will be introduced through two updates, the first later in November and the second in early 2023. A good way for players to get a third star?
FIFA 22 had introduced us to the idea of two different versions of the same game. This release being linked to two generations of consoles with different technical capabilities, EA had then decided to offer two games. The first was the next-gen version (PS5 and Xbox Series) including all the technical novelties of this new generation of football games, and the second was the old-gen version (PS4, Xbox One and PC) which remained a simple upgrade. FIFA 21. A decision that was far from unanimous, players first noting that PCs were confined to the “old” generation, and deploring the lack of crossplay between Xbox One, PC and PS4.
For FIFA 23 things are different. If the two versions of the game still exist, separating the next-gen from the old-gen, the rules have changed. PC, PS5 and Xbox Series players will be able to enjoy the same version of the game, and even crossplay which has been fully integrated into the game. For PS4 and Xbox One players don’t panic, crossplay is also offered to them. These cross-platform play features are of course FUT Division Rivals (except Co-op), FUT Champions, FUT Ultimate Online Draft, FUT Online Friendlies (except Co-op), FUT Play a Friend, Online Friendlies. and finally Online Seasons.
If there is a category of players who have been quite adversely affected by recent FIFA releases, it is Nintendo Switch players. The latter must be satisfied for several years with “legacy” versions of the game, ie a copy without the new technical improvements of its counterparts on PC, Playstation and Xbox. When it comes to FIFA 23, unfortunately, this trend continues. FIFA 23 on Switch will therefore also be a “legacy” version of the game. EA say it themselves: “Gameplay and modes [de FIFA 23] will be identical to FIFA 22 on Switch and will feature the same gameplay as the FIFA 22 Legacy Edition without any significant new developments or changes.“If you or someone close to you owns a Nintendo Switch, we highly recommend playing this edition of the game.
On the sidelines of the arrival of FIFA 23, we couldn’t help but notice that this 25th iteration of the franchise would be the last to bear the same name. Indeed, you may already know it, but the divorce has been pronounced between EA Sports and FIFA. The reason ? On the one hand, FIFA wants to increase the fees paid by EA for the ownership of the license, on the other hand, it also intends to make it accept that FIFA appears in other video game franchises (Roblox, Fortnite… ). A slightly too incredible idea for EA, which has decided to go it alone from the year 2023. FIFA 23 will therefore be the last football game bearing the famous name of the International Football Federation.
As for the future of football simulation games, don’t panic, EA intends to develop its own franchise, which will bear the name of EA Sports FC. Only, EA Sports FC will have to give up content related to the World Cup, directly licensed by FIFA. As for the clubs, however, the game should have no problem according to EA. On the side of FIFA, we are all grumpy, but we intend to find another standard bearer for the official football simulation. Various candidates could enter the dance, among the biggest studios in the video game world, but for the moment, no information has emerged on this subject.