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New iterations of the “FIFA” football simulation game typically gather massive turnouts every year. And EA confirmed on Wednesday that the latest installment, “FIFA 23,” achieved a similar feat and even had one of the most successful launches in the franchise.
EA announced in a press release that over 10.3 million fans played “FIFA 23” in its first week, helping it achieve a record-breaking launch. “The response from our fans has been nothing short of incredible, and we’re thrilled that our community is playing with their favourite players and teams across FIFA 23 in record numbers, ” EA Sports FC general manager Nick Wlodyka said.
The swift success of “FIFA 23” may be attributed to several factors, including its new gameplay tech and features. The game is the first in the franchise to support crossplay in most game modes. It is also the first to include women’s football leagues and teams with Chelsea forward Sam Kerr gracing the official game cover with Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappé.
EA Sports also improved upon the HyperMotion tech it introduced last year, which uses real-life movements from real-life football matches to render thousands of in-game animations. The fact that 2022 is a World Cup year might have also contributed to the bigger success of “FIFA 23.” The game features World Cup-inspired game modes both for men’s and women’s football.
It is also worth noting that “FIFA 23” will be the last football simulation game from EA that carries the FIFA brand. After months of rumored disagreements over the price of renewing its FIFA license, EA announced last May that it will introduce a new series of football sim games under the new brand “EA Sports FC.”
The end of EA and FIFA’s nearly 30 years of licensing partnership was not without controversies. Statements from an earlier meeting attended by EA employees and CEO Andrew Wilson were leaked last February, where it became quite clear that the publisher and FIFA are unlikely to sign a new contract.
Wilson is said to have implied that the international football association was not very open to allowing new game modes that go beyond the typical 11v11 gameplay. Also, the executive purportedly commented on the value that EA was getting from the partnership, especially during a non-World Cup year.
“Our FIFA license has actually precluded us from doing a lot of this stuff,” Wilson reportedly said (via VGC). “Again, FIFA is just the name on the box, but they’ve precluded our ability to be able to branch into the areas that players want.”
