EA Sports’ final soccer game under the FIFA moniker has launched to resounding success.
On Wednesday, the video game giant announced that 10.3 million players have played FIFA 23 within the first week — marking the largest launch period in franchise history.
Several key factors likely played into the newest iteration’s initial popularity.
- FIFA 23 is the final game under the exclusive partnership between FIFA and EA Sports; the franchise will be renamed EA Sports FC for future editions and will still feature most of the world’s federations, leagues, clubs, and players under individually negotiated licenses.
- The game is the only one on the market that will allow users to play with both men’s and women’s international teams in their respective World Cup tournaments; FIFA 23 also features many women’s club teams.
- AFC Richmond from “Ted Lasso” and Wrexham AFC — famously owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney — are also playable this year.
“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,” said Nick Wlodyka, SVP, GM of EA SPORTS FC.
This year’s successful launch will likely prove to help EA’s bottom line: The company plans to release its Q2 FY 2023 financial results on Nov. 1.
