FIFA 23 is the next entry in the popular football game series, and will be the very last version with EA Sports at the helm.
But how will FIFA 23 differ from its predecessor, FIFA 22? We’ve listed all of the major differences below, so you know the exact upgrades you’ll be getting.
Women’s football clubs
The biggest addition to FIFA this year is the inclusion of women’s club teams. You’ll now be able to play as any of the current clubs from the Barclays FA Women’s Super League and Division 1 Arkema.
While you could take charge of a women’s international team in FIFA 22, this will be the very first time that women’s club football will be included in the series. The HyperMotion2 technology on the latest consoles should also ensure true-to-life football motion for women’s football.
Crossplay
After successful playtests with FIFA 22, EA Sports is expanding the number of game modes that will support crossplay. This includes 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 Online Seasons (except Co-Op Seasons).
EA has also clarified you’ll only be able to play with those on the same console generation. That means PS5, Xbox Series X and PC gamers can all play against each other, but PS4 and Xbox One owners are limited to each other. Still, it’s a great step in the right direction.
Playable highlights in Career Mode
A season can take a long time to complete in Career Mode, so there’s always the temptation to simulate a match, especially if you draw the likes of Burnley in the FA Cup. The downside of this is that it’s a very passive experience.
EA Sports has now introduced a halfway option, which allows you to only play the highlights of a game. The bulk of a match will be simulated, but you’ll automatically resume control when a player gets a great chance to shoot on goal, or a defender needs get in an important tackle. This allows you to still have an impact on the end result, but without having to sit through every minute of the match. It’s like being able to play through Match of the Day.
More realistic animations
One of EA’s biggest focuses for FIFA 23 has been to create more realistic player animations. With HyperMotion2 technology, EA has been able to capture twice as much data as before. This results in a claimed 6000 true-to-life football animations, so players look and behave just like the football stars they’re imitating.
EA says it’s paid particular attention to improving shooting animations, as well as goalkeepers when reaching out for the ball.
Unfortunately the HyperMotion2 technology will only be available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC and Google Stadia, so you’re out of luck if you’re still playing on a PS4 or Xbox one.
Power shots and redesigned set pieces
EA Sports has made some slight tweaks to the gameplay, introducing a new mechanic called ‘power shots’. EA describes it as a high-risk, high-reward mechanic, as it requires more precision to execute but sends the ball torpedoing towards goal at greater speeds.
Set pieces have also seen an overhaul, allowing you to choose where you make contact on the ball to give you greater control on the likes of direction, trajectory and curl. EA also says the new camera positions for corners will increase the drama for dead ball situations.
Moments in Ultimate Team
Ultimate Team fans should be excited too, as EA Sports is introducing a new single-player mode called Moments. Rather than taking place in a full 90-minute match, Moments sets you bitesize challenges. For example, you could be tasked with scoring as a defender within three minutes or completing a rainbow flick.
Many of these challenges will be created from scratch by the developers, but others will be inspired by real matches over the weekend, challenging you to recreate goals scored by the likes of Salah, Kane and Haaland. Successfully completing challenges will see you earn stars, which can be spent on card packs and loan players to help improve your squad.
EA Sports is also overhauling chemistry for Ultimate Team, so players can build cohesions with squad mates even if they don’t occupy adjacent positions on the pitch (e.g. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson). Most players will now have a secondary position too, so Son Heung-min will be able to play at CF and LW as well as LM.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
