FIFA 23 is almost certainly on the way, as new entries in EA's long-running soccer sim series predictably release every year.
But whether it'll actually be called FIFA 23 remains uncertain, as EA Sports has announced that it's “exploring” the possibility of renaming the series – a move that may see the beautiful game as we know it getting a serious shake up this year.
And it's not just FIFA 23's name that may undergo a change. According to rumors, the next FIFA (or whatever it will be called) will be free-to-play and will allow support crossplay – something that wasn't available in FIFA 22 – though this isn't confirmed.
Right now, solid details on FIFA 23 are thin on the ground but there are plenty of rumors about what we could see from the next entry in the soccer sim series. So read on for everything we know about FIFA 23, including all the latest news and rumors.
FIFA 23: cut to the chase
- What is it? The next entry in FIFA soccer sim series
- When can I play it? TBC 2022
- What can I play it on? TBC – but likely PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch and PC
FIFA 23 release date and platforms
EA Sports hasn't confirmed a release date or platforms for FIFA 23 yet.
We can, however, make an educated guess on when we'll get our hands on the next FIFA. The past few FIFA games have been released between September and October, with FIFA 21 releasing on October 5, 2020 and FIFA 22 releasing on September 26, 2021. If EA follows the same pattern then we imagine FIFA 23 will release within this time period.
It's likely we'll see FIFA 23 release on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PS5, PC and Nintendo Switch. If the new FIFA launches on the same platforms as its predecessor, then we'll also see it release on Xbox One, Google Stadia, and PS4.
Will it be called FIFA 23?
It's very likely that FIFA 23 won't have the ‘FIFA' moniker at all.
Back in October 2021, EA Sports announced that it is “exploring” the possibility of renaming its FIFA game series. In a blog post celebrating the release of FIFA 22, the developer also touched on its plans for the future of the series.
“As we look ahead, we’re also exploring the idea of renaming our global EA Sports football games,” the blog post reads “This means we’re reviewing our naming rights agreement with FIFA, which is separate from all our other official partnerships and licenses across the football world.”
At the same time, EA made clear that it's fully aware of how important branded competitions and national leagues, as well as globally-popular clubs, stadiums, and players are to the “authenticity” of the FIFA game series.
“Through years of building our global franchise, we also know that authenticity is essential to the experience,” the blog post adds. “That’s why we focus so much energy on the collective strength of over 300 individual licensed partners that give us access to 17,000+ athletes across 700+ teams, in 100 stadiums and over 30 leagues around the world.
“We continually invest in the partnerships and licenses that are most meaningful to players, and because of that, our game is the only place you can authentically play in the iconic UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, CONMEBOL Libertadores, Premier League, Bundesliga, and LaLiga Santander, among many others.”
The blog post specifies that the naming rights for the FIFA series are separate from its other official partnerships and licenses, meaning that, apart from a name change and the absence of heavy FIFA branding, we shouldn't see a big change to content within the game itself.
The developer didn't give a reason for this change, but we imagine EA likely pays a lot to license the FIFA name, and that license may come with some constraints as to what EA can and can't do, so dropping the name altogether would likely save EA money and give it more freedom.
While it's not confirmed that the FIFA name will change – it looks pretty likely. However, what exactly the name will change to remains a mystery.
FIFA 23 news and rumors
Will the new name be ‘EA Sports FC'?
As spotted by VGC, EA has filed multiple trademark applications for ‘EA Sports FC', suggesting this could be the name that replaces ‘FIFA'. The applications were filed on October 1 and October 4 2021, shortly after EA Sports announced it was exploring a name change.
Will it be free-to-play and support crossplay?
Known FIFA leaker Donk on Twitter posted a tweet back in 2021 possibly suggesting that FIFA 23 will be free-to-play and will support cross-platform play. The post simply says “free to play”, followed by a handshake emoji, followed by “crossplay” with the hashtag #FIFA23.
It's possible this is just speculation (or wishful thinking) from the leaker, and EA Sports hasn't confirmed this is the case, but both would certainly offer the shake up we're expecting from the next entry in the FIFA series.
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