FIFA 23

A Landmark Final Chapter

FIFA 23 is the final game in a three-decade partnership between EA Sports and world football's governing body, FIFA. As the last game to use the FIFA name, it sold worldwide across all major platforms, from last-generation consoles like the PlayStation 4 to current-generation hardware like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. The game's online servers were officially shut down in October 2025, ending its competitive lifecycle. It was a transitional title, with future EA football games continuing under the new EA Sports FC banner.

The game featured global cover stars Kylian Mbappé and, in a landmark moment, Chelsea Women's striker Sam Kerr, who became the first female footballer on the global front cover. This choice signaled a broader shift within the game's content. FIFA 23 received generally favorable reviews from critics, though the Nintendo Switch version was widely criticized for lacking significant improvements over prior years. It was nominated for several awards, including the BAFTA Games Award for Multiplayer.

Gameplay Innovations and Technical Features

FIFA 23 introduced several key gameplay systems, though they were exclusive to the PC and current-generation console versions. The headline feature was HyperMotion2, a technology that used machine learning from real football matches to create over 6,000 new in-game animations. This aimed to deliver more realistic player movement and interactions on the pitch.

Complementing this was the Technical Dribbling system, powered by an Active Touch mechanic designed to improve a player's path to the ball and make turning and dribbling feel more responsive. These upgrades were part of EA's effort to refine the on-pitch experience for the series' final outing under the FIFA name. The game also featured a large soundtrack, which was expanded in November 2022 with 40 classic tracks from previous FIFA titles to create the largest soundtrack in the series' history.

Expanding the Football World

FIFA 23 significantly expanded its representation of the sport. Most notably, it became the first title in the series to introduce playable women's club football. At launch, it included England's FA Women's Super League and France's Division 1 Féminine. In March 2023, updates added the UEFA Women's Champions League and the American National Women's Soccer League, though the rollout faced minor delays due to testing issues.

The game also featured special modes for both the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, marking the only time the series included both tournaments. The men's mode, released in November 2022, contained the 32 qualified teams plus 15 other national teams from the game that did not qualify, such as Italy and Sweden. It featured only two of the real stadiums. The women's mode, added in June 2023, featured the 32 qualified teams but only one real stadium, Stadium Australia. The men's World Cup mode was notably the last of its kind for EA, as the subsequent EA Sports FC series would not have FIFA's licensing for the tournament.

Licensing and Stadiums

Licensing remained a complex and shifting area for the final FIFA title. While the game boasted over 30 licensed leagues, over 100 stadiums, 700 clubs, and more than 19,000 players, several high-profile clubs were absent due to exclusivity deals with rival game eFootball. Roma, Atalanta, Lazio, and Napoli appeared under generic names like Roma FC and Bergamo Calcio, with custom kits and badges. Juventus, however, returned to the game under its real name after a three-year absence as Piemonte Calcio.

Major leagues were also removed. The Japanese J1 League was cut after its partnership with EA ended. Almost all Latin American leagues were removed, leaving only the Argentine Primera División, though Copa Libertadores and Sudamericana teams remained. The Russian Premier League stayed absent due to the war in Ukraine. New stadiums were added, including PSV's Philips Stadion, Freiburg's Europa-Park Stadion, and Manchester City Women's Academy Stadium. Notably, all 20 Premier League clubs had their real stadiums after Nottingham Forest's City Ground was added post-launch. However, giants like Bayern Munich and Barcelona played in generic arenas despite having licensed kits and players.

Ultimate Team Evolution and Crossplay

The popular FIFA Ultimate Team mode received substantial updates. The game's ICON collection was refreshed, adding legends like Gerd Müller, Xabi Alonso, and Jairzinho, while removing others such as Diego Maradona, Ryan Giggs, and Pep Guardiola. Some former Icons like Jay-Jay Okocha were moved to the Heroes category.

In a collaboration with Marvel, 21 new Heroes were added, featuring a comic book art style. This batch included players like Lucio, Diego Forlán, Javier Mascherano, Yaya Touré, Park Ji-sung, and Peter Crouch, with Ledley King added after release. A minor but notable change was the removal of the option to delete Ultimate Team club data, as most players did not use it, replaced by an option to rename the club more freely.

A major addition for online play was the introduction of crossplay. This allowed players on different consoles within the same generation to compete against each other in modes like FUT Division Rivals, FUT Champions, Online Seasons, and the Virtual Bundesliga. However, this feature was not universal. Crossplay was limited by console generation, so PlayStation 4 players could only match with Xbox One players, not those on PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S. Furthermore, the popular Pro Clubs mode did not support crossplay at all, a decision that drew criticism from the community. Online Friendlies also supported crossplay, but co-op variations of several modes did not.

Critical Reception and Competitive Legacy

FIFA 23 was met with a generally positive critical response. Review aggregator OpenCritic noted that 61% of critics recommended the game. Publications praised its flashy presentation, fun gameplay, and wealth of modes. Game Informer stated it was flashy, fun, and had a lot of modes, but criticized its similarity to previous installments.

Specific criticisms focused on the perceived pay-to-win aspects of Ultimate Team and occasional frustrations with player control. A review in GamesRadar+ cited moments where player control felt sabotaged but acknowledged the series bowed out on a high note. IGN's review scored it a 7 out of 10, calling its virtual football slick and dramatic but noting it undervalued some beloved modes and that familiar frustrations remained. The Nintendo Switch version was almost universally panned for being a bare-bones legacy edition with no significant improvements.

As the final FIFA game, it was a title of both celebration and transition. It was the best-selling sports video game franchise in the world, according to Guinness World Records. It earned award nominations at the 19th BAFTA Games Awards for Multiplayer and at the 26th D.I.C.E. Awards for Sports Game of the Year and Online Game of the Year. The game also included a nod to pop culture with the fictional AFC Richmond and its Nelson Road stadium from the TV series Ted Lasso. FIFA 23 served as a send-off, setting the stage for the new era of EA Sports FC.