EA Sports FIFA 23 Preview: What to Expect from the Latest Addition to the Franchise
Image Credits: Electronic Arts
NEW JERSEY — Today is the start of the weekend for many. It’s that little reward for the hard work put in throughout the week, whether in school or the workplace. It’s a good time to look forward to things like the NFL and some downtime. Today, EA Sports FIFA 23 was released worldwide.
It’ll be the final installment in the FIFA series as Electronic Arts (EA) and FIFA could not reach a new agreement to extend their partnership and have decided not to renew their deal, ending a nearly 30-year relationship. As a result, the FIFA games will be under a new name, EA Sports FC, beginning with the next installment.
FIFA has decided to find new partners and explore new opportunities. While fans initially worried about the sound of the news, EA has reassured fans that the authenticity will not be lost. The video game company has signed hundreds of deals to ensure that all of the current licensing will continue to be in the iteration of their upcoming games.
They’ve signed over 19,000 players, over 700 teams, over 100 stadiums, and 30 leagues, including exclusive deals with the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, and many more. Modes such as Ultimate Team, Career Mode, VOLTA, and much more will continue to be featured in EA Sports FC.
As for FIFA 23, fans can expect a plethora of amazing content! Firstly, crossplay will be integrated into the game for the first time. So, as long as the player’s opponent is playing on the same console generation (i.e., PS4 with Xbox One or PS5 with Xbox Series X/S), players can interact and play matches with one another over a handful of modes.
FIFA 23 also introduces players to HyperMotion 2 on next-gen consoles. It’s an in-game machine to make the games played on the console feel more like the authentic experience we’ve grown accustomed to knowing while watching soccer games. As a result, players will act more like their real-life counterparts. This feature will also integrate the Active Touch System, which improves player dribbling and turning, making them more responsive.
Juventus fans rejoice! While they haven’t had the most positive start to their season, the Bianconeri have returned, replacing the substitute team, Piemonte Calcio. The Italian club had a deal with Konami to be exclusive in eFootball. However, seeing as the deal expired and they saw no interest in renewing it, the Old Lady has returned to FIFA. Juventus’s return will include their authentic badge, jerseys, and stadium!
Image Credit: Electronic Arts
Ultimate Team has been the most popular mode in the FIFA franchise for some time now. The mode launched early via the Companion/Web app. Then, as we drew closer to the game’s release, users could start building their squad. This year, EA has revamped the chemistry system. Previously, to get high chemistry, players had to be adjacent to players with the same nation, league, or team. However, the system has been overhauled in favor of a new format.
As long as players have enough similar attributions to each other (i.e., same nation players or same league players who aren’t next to each other), chemistry will go up. The max chemistry has dropped from 100 to 33, with each player having up to three chemistry points. Another new addition to the mode this year is a section called moments. Players can recreate important moments from the weekend and earn rewards for completing certain tasks, such as scoring a finesse shot as Son did against Leicester. It’s useful for players who are a bit more pressed for time.
Women’s soccer has also received a substantial upgrade. A handful of women’s clubs have been added to the game, including PSG, Chelsea, Lyon, Arsenal, and more. EA hopes to help promote the women’s game, which has gained a massive audience in the past few years. While the game will only release Barclay’s Women’s Super League and French Division One Femme, EA plans to release more leagues through updates down the line.
Chelsea women’s player Sam Kerr is the first woman to feature on a global edition of FIFA, following in the footsteps of Alex Morgan. The American great was the first woman to be featured on the cover of a FIFA game (FIFA 16 alongside Lionel Messi).
EA Sports is also planning on releasing a World Cup mode within the game. It will feature the 2022 Men’s and the 2023 Women’s World Cup. If it’s anything like the 2018 World Cup mode on FIFA 18, there will be various modes, such as Ultimate Team and Online Road to the Final. However, details on the upcoming mode are quite scarce as of the writing of this piece.
The latest bit of news from EA Sports has brought fans delight. AFC Richmond, managed by Ted Lasso, has been added to the game. The team makes their way from the Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso. It will be playable in Career Mode, Kick-Off, Online Friendlies, and Online Seasons! Players will also be able to play with the full squad, wear original kits, and play in Nelson Road. EA Sports also plans to add customization items into Ultimate Team so that players can represent AFC Richmond.