Following tradition with EA's practices, FIFA 23 will launch on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate as well as EA Play on Tuesday, May 16th. This is also the last chance to play a FIFA game, as the partnership with EA Sports and FIFA will come to an end.
The latest installment to the acclaimed soccer-simulation series has enjoyed success that has catapulted it over its predecessors. Electronic Arts announced that the game reached over 10 million players on its first week of launch (source here), and generated more revenue than FIFA 22 did in just half a year.
Xbox Game Pass Climate subscribers are already given access to EA play, meaning that they can download the game with no additional cost. This was the same with FIFA 21 and FIFA 22, which also became available to the program's subscriber base.
FIFA 23's Financial Bloom
According to a quote from Chief Financial Officer Chris Suh of Electronic Arts, “Record live services performance and increased engagement, particularly from our EA Sports FIFA franchise, drove better-than-expected Q4 net bookings, capping a strong finish to the fiscal year,”
EA Sports CEO Andrew Wilson also reported, “Year to date net bookings from the FIFA franchise have grown 4%”, and that “In North America alone, unit sales are up 50% year over year.”
FIFA 23's Success
FIFA 23 has received generally favorable reviews and praise from critics. It's inclusion of both Men and Women's soccer teams is an improvement from previous titles. It also included both a Men and Women's world cup, and improved many of the gameplay mechanics such as dribbling and passing.
Features were also added over time to keep the players coming back. In March 23, the Women's Champions League was added, giving players more options and play styles to choose from.
The game's ultimate edition cover dons Superstars Kylian Mbappe and Sam Kerr. The goal was to cater to fanbases of both Men and Women's soccer.
FIFA 23 didn't receive favorable reviews from users, who believe the series has been in a stalemate for years.
The Future of EA and FIFA
This will be the final combined effort of EA Sports and FIFA, as the partnership will come to an end. The new series will now be known as EA Sports FC. It is unclear whether or not the game will still feature real players and clubs. Details of this new title will be available from the developers come this July. You can check their website to learn more.
For those interested in picking up FIFA 23 and playing other games, Gamepass is available at $14.99 (USD) a month. EA Play is available for $4.99 a month or $29.99 for an annual subscription.
If you prefer playing Sports games only, then EA Play may be a more affordable and better option. But Gamepass will allow you to check out other titles while you wait for EA Sports FC.