Tag: FIFA 23

FIFA 23 predicts 2023 World Cup, and it’s a winner for Team USA

We simulated the Women’s World Cup in FIFA 23 to see which team would win.

The 2023 FIFA World Cup in Australia and New Zealand is well underway, with some of the best players around the world now representing their national teams. It’s been an incredible run so far, clearly showing the world why women’s soccer deserves more attention and care throughout the season, not just when the World Cup’s around.

The World Cup has also been in the spotlight thanks to a free update now available on FIFA 23. The update comes with a variety of modes, such as Kick-off, and the ability to play the entire tournament and represent your country on the pitch.

Of course, we couldn’t miss the chance to play and simulate the World Cup to have a sneak peek at who’s going to win it according to the game. United States is the favorite with four wins in 1991, 1999, 2015, and 2019, but Spain, England, and Australia all have what it takes to reach the grand final.

So here’s all FIFA 23 had to say about the FIFA World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023.

The group stage was tough and challenging for each and every one of our favorites, but there was no surprise elimination before the Quarter Finals. Here, Sam Kerr’s Australia was defeated by Jamaica, and France smashed England for a quite unexpected 0-3. 

The semi-finals witnessed one of the biggest matches you could wish to see in the World Cup 2023, as Team USA and Spain faced each other in a dramatic 1-0 win for the USWNT. Two-time Ballon d’Or winner, 91-rated Alexia Putellas’ run ended in third place, after beating Jamaica at penalties.

On the other hand, France easily got rid of Jamaica and reached the grand final. And what a grand final it was. France had more possession, and overall had to take the initiative as the United States had the lead with an early goal from Rodman. It took a while, but the Europeans managed to draw at 84’ with Toletti, and the match looked destined for extra time.

However, at just one minute from the end, Dunn scored again for the US, granting the Americans a climatic win, and their fifth World Cup. That was intense.

Looking at individual performances, FIFA 23 also announced a few awards after the grand final. Spain’s Mariona was named the top player of the FIFA World Cup, and also won the Golden Boot thanks to her 6 goals. Jamaica’s Shaw also scored 6 goals.

Denmark’s Lene Christensen was named Goalkeeper of the tournament, with two clean sheets from 4 matches. Spain’s Putellas and Mariona also offered 3 assists in 7 matches, even though Canada’s Fleming had the best ratio (3 assists in just 3 matches).

This was the Team of the Tournament:

  • Naeher (United States)
  • Fox (United States)
  • Renard (France)
  • Girma (United States)
  • Périsset (France)
  • Mariona (Spain)
  • Horan (United States)
  • Dunn (United States)
  • Diani (France)
  • Shaw (Jamaica)
  • Morgan (United States)

Of course, most of the players were from the United States as they ultimately won the World Cup, but it’s good to see France, Jamaica, and Spain so well represented.

Could this be it? We’ll see how reliable FIFA 23 ends up being this time around in a couple of weeks, with Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand reaching an end with Aug. 20’s grand final.

In the meantime, it’s worth noting that EA Sports’ official simulation was right for the fourth time in a row with the World Cup in 2022, so maybe you’d better not underestimate our prediction.

Written by Paolo Sirio on behalf of GLHF.

Some fans call foul over Ivan Toney’s FIFA 23 ban

Ivan Toney is banned from FIFA 23, though EA’s reason has some fans accusing the sports game publisher of double standards

Ivan Toney is banned from FIFA 23, though EA’s rationale for the decision has some fans accusing the publisher of double standards. EA removed Toney from the sports game after the Brentford player after it came to light that he had bet on his own team to lose multiple times, violating the Football Association’s betting rules 232 times since 2017.

Toney received a six-month suspension from the real-life game. Whether EA plans on this being a permanent ban is uncertain, though some fans think it’s ironic that EA would ban someone for breaking betting rules, when, they say, FIFA 23’s FUT mode encourages a form of gambling (thanks, TheGamer). 

You build your teams with player cards, which you get at random from card packs. You can sometimes find a specific card for sale on the in-game market – if you’re willing to pay a few hundred dollars for it. Buying packs until you get a player you want or even a quality rating you need, however, can often cost even more money.

“FIFA literally promotes gambling to children,” one user wrote on Twitter.

“The cheek of EA to take a moral high ground on gambling,” another said.

Granted, Toney broke the association’s rules, while EA’s practices don’t violate any laws or regulations – unless you live in Belgium. EA previously banned other players from FIFA games after they broke laws or faced serious criminal accusations, so Toney’s ban is in keeping with their usual practices – sort of. Other players, such as Joey Barton, who assaulted a teammate in 2007 and has the shadow of other violent controversies looming over him, are still in the game.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

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More Xbox Game Pass games for May 2023 include FIFA and a Pokemon-like

Microsoft announced the Xbox Game Pass games for May 2023, and FIFA leads the charge, with some indie gems close behind

Microsoft announced the Xbox Game Pass games for May 2023, and FIFA leads the charge, with some indie gems close behind. As always, the May game launches will happen at a staggered rate, with some out now and some releasing near the end of the month. A handful of games will also leave the service at the end of May, though not as many as usual this time.

These are in addition to the other, smaller round of games that landed on the service earlier in the month, including Redfall.

Kerr and Mbappé ‘dream Ultimate Team pairing’ for Chelsea Manager

Mixed-gender soccer teams are on the agenda as EA SPORTS FC rumors start to circulate; EA VP doubles down on commitment to women’s soccer.

Chelsea manager Emma Hayes sees megastar Kylian Mbappé and her in-form striker Sam Kerr as a “dream pairing” both in real life and in the video game sphere. Both star on the cover of FIFA 23, the chart-topping soccer sim from EA Sports. I spoke to Hayes in London at the first event for EA SPORTS FC and FC Futures, where she was announced as an ambassador.

Hayes, currently managing through the tightest Barclays Women’s Super League title race yet, is pleased with the inclusion of women’s club soccer in FIFA 23, as participation in the girls game continues to grow in the US and Europe.

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“[For kids] seeing it to be it plays a massive part, and it was not something I had,” she says.

Rumors are flying around on social media around women being added into Ultimate Team, which is the biggest game mode in EA’s chart-topping soccer sim series. Currently, mixed-gender teams can only happen in Pro Clubs and VOLTA, where you play as a custom avatar online. FIFA Ultimate Team, for now, only features current club players and icons of the past in the men’s game. For comparison, Hockey Ultimate Team in EA’s NHL 23 does have mixed lines.

“I like the idea of it – I think it’s about choice,” Hayes says, when asked about her thoughts on the rumors, and if soccer realism was an issue in video games.

FIFA 23 Sam Kerr & Chloe Kelly

“Why should we restrict who you know our children piece together? I think you don’t always have to have very traditional views on role models, and it’s nice to think that we can put together teams much in the way that we want to.”

Representation in-game builds a love for the game on the pitch, and it is something that Hayes has experienced personally with family members playing FIFA 23.

“You always have to start at home. When I spend Christmas Day with all the kids in my family being Chelsea Women, whether they’re [playing as] me, whether they’re using some of my players, you really realize the reach and the impact it’s having,” she says.

“We’re normalizing football for girls at home much in the same way that it has been for boys. We now need to take a gaming experience and bring that [to the pitch]. We’re already seeing that with an upturn in attendances.”

Sam Kerr is in fine form for her club, as is Mbappé, so with the rumors of mixed teams coming to Ultimate Team in the next EA SPORTS FC title, I asked what Hayes thought about that partnership.

“We should just talk about the qualities that each player can bring! Because I’m sure they would make a fabulous strike partnership,” Hayes grins.

I also spoke to David Jackson, VP of Brand Marketing at EA Sports, about how women’s soccer will evolve with the rebrand of the game. Critics of the expansion in FIFA 23 have claimed that club soccer lacks immersion, feels unfinished, and sits as a detached part of the overall game experience.

We have a deep, deep commitment to women’s football. As I said we’ve spent a number of years educating [our teams]… Whether that’s physiological differences, gameplay differences, tactical differences, the business of women’s football,” he says.

erling-haaland-fifa-23

Representation for women’s soccer is evolving, and Jackson admits that this will take more than one game to get it right “We will get to a phenomenal outcome for women’s football through the lens of our product. But it will be a multi-cycle thing.”

Jackson reveals there are ‘big five’ leagues in game which players might not realize is a deeper experience. These partnerships are vital as EA Sports separates from FIFA, which provided a lot of the licensing as part of the package. Jackson now negotiates his own deals, and two of the five leagues represent women’s soccer.

“We have a big five in the game. The Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, NWSL and WSL. They are represented to a much higher level than any of our other platforms.”

FIFA 23 Belgium

Despite these positive comments, Jackson was tight-lipped on the rumors circulating about mixed teams coming to Ultimate Team.

“We will talk a lot more about product innovation and feature updates in July,” he says.

“What I can tell you is women’s football is immensely important to us. Wherever women’s football shows up it will show up at the highest quality in the context of our platform. We have what we believe to be a responsibility to ensure that women’s football is held in exactly the same esteem as men’s.”

Written by Alex Bugg on behalf of GLHF.

EA SPORTS and Football Foundation open ‘Rocky and Wrighty Arena’ at Ian Wright’s former school

An emotional Ian Wright opens a safe space for kids to play football in tribute to late friend and teammate David Rocastle.

England and Arsenal icon Ian Wright returned to where it all started to open the ‘Rocky and Wrighty Arena’ at Turnham Academy in Brockley, South London, overlooked by the estate where he grew up. 

Wright attended the unveiling of the floodlit 3G pitch, funded in partnership by EA SPORTS  anda The Football Foundation. The arena features a mural of Wright and former Arsenal teammate David Rocastle, who passed away in 2001. Both attended Turnham Academy.

EA SPORTS, developers of FIFA 23, announced FC FUTURES, a new community football initiative. Wright, alongside world-renowned Chelsea Women’s Manager, Emma Hayes are the first FC FUTURES ambassadors.

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Their three-year plan involves multiple grassroots football projects worldwide. This announcement follows EA SPORTS’s new brand identity, logo and vision reveal for the interactive future of football: EA SPORTS FC.

“I’m delighted to be an ambassador for EA SPORTS FC FUTURES ” said Ian Wright.

“This is where football starts, right here in our communities and investing in the game is a crucial step toward advancing global football. That starts with providing kids access to much-needed facilities in order for them to be able to play as much as possible in safe, local spaces. I’m grateful my old school can play a part in the future of football, and it’s an honor to be involved.”

The facility is the first of several investments worldwide by FC FUTURES, and will be used during school time and after hours, with floodlights allowing youth teams and community football organizations to play soccer safely.

English TV personality and former soccer player Ian Wright at the unveiling of the Rocky and Wrighty Arena. (EA Sports/Mark Robinson)

EA SPORTS FC, the new name for the FIFA game series, has been teased by EA SPORTS but no gameplay information has come out yet, but it was announced that the Rocky and Wrighty Arena will be available in the next title.

Speaking at the opening event, David Jackson, VP of Brand Marketing at EA SPORTS announced “we are so thrilled that this pitch exists in the real world, and we’re really thrilled that it’s going to exist in our game too.”

“Ian is family at EA SPORTS – he is a model of passion for the game. And it’s his vision, and his team’s vision, that brought this to life with these different partners,” Jackson added in tribute to Wright, who appeared visibly emotional throughout the speeches.

Also present at the launch on a rainy London afternoon was Chelsea Women’s manager Emma Hayes, who was supporting her friend Ian. “Growing up in London, I was always looking for a way to get onto the pitch,” she said.

“I’m ecstatic that women and underrepresented talent are getting the resources many of us didn’t.

Chelsea Women’s manager Emma Hayes with Ian Wright at the launch of the Rocky and Wrighty Arena. (EA Sports/Mark Robinson)

FC FUTURES is a fantastic way to provide opportunities for the next generation of fans to explore and further their passion for football, and it makes me proud to be an FC FUTURES ambassador.

I believe that investments like this have the power to change lives.”

As part of the FC FUTURES initiative, along with funding playing facilities, EA will launch publicly-available soccer coaching resources later this year in five languages, and also in equipment for clubs and schools such as soccer balls, cones and other essentials. 

Fans keen to learn more about the new era of EA SPORTS football games will have to wait until July for more information, but the brand is being teased on social media and at soccer matches worldwide.

Written by Alex Bugg on behalf of GLHF.

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A whole bunch of NWSL players aren’t happy with how they look in FIFA 23

Sydney Leroux said her avatar is “going to scare my children”

For the first time ever, the NWSL has been added to the hugely popular FIFA franchise of video games from EA Sports.

Though that is obviously great news, several NWSL players have been discovering what their video game avatars look like in FIFA 23 — and they aren’t happy.

Some of the inaccuracies could be considered amusing, like Kailen Sheridan being bald (???) when on international duty for Canada, and then returning to her usual hairstyle with the San Diego Wave. Or Janine Beckie and her “fraternal twin.”

But others are a little more troublesome, like Houston Dash defender Caprice Dydasco, who looks to have been whitewashed on the game.

“We insist on immediate action from EA to rectify the offensive and inauthentic portrayals of players of color in FIFA 23, which were released yesterday. The NWSL Players Association, alongside our agent OneTeam Partners, has a dedicated gaming team actively working with EA to resolve this matter,” Meghann Burke, Executive Director of the NWSLPA, told CNN in a statement.

In an unsurprising development, Sydney Leroux was one of the more outspoken players on social media, pointing out that her likeness in FIFA 16 (which featured women’s international teams only) was more accurate than this year’s avatar, which she said is “going to scare my children.”

Amid the criticism, EA Sports released a statement on Friday saying they will “progressively introduce updated representations of athletes in future patches.”

EA Sports reveals 10 highest-rated NWSL players in FIFA 23

The NWSL is set to be part of the hugely popular video game for the first time

EA Sports has revealed the 10 highest rated NWSL players in FIFA 23, as the league’s teams are available in the game for the first time ever.

San Diego Wave star Alex Morgan leads the list with a rating of 90, while Debinha — who signed with the Kansas City Current in a huge free agent deal this offseason — is next up, rated 88 overall.

U.S. women’s national team starters Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns), Mallory Swanson (Chicago Red Stars), and Rose Lavelle (OL Reign) are next on the list, all given an 87 rating.

EA Sports has announced all of the player ratings across the NWSL, which can be found along with their ratings for women’s players in the Women’s Super League, Division 1 Féminine, and prominent national teams like Spain and Germany. The full list of women’s player ratings can be found here.

Following a landmark partnership between the league, the NWSL Players’ Association, and EA Sports, FIFA 23 will include NWSL players starting on March 15 in the following modes:

  • Kick Off
  • Tournament Mode
  • Head to Head season
  • Co-op Seasons
  • Online Friendlies

FIFA 23 will also include four NWSL stadiums, authentic kit renderings, and celebrations.

Here are the top 10 — or really 11, due to a three-way tie for ninth place — NWSL players in FIFA 23.

FIFA 23 adds NWSL ahead of 2023 season kickoff

For the first time ever, the NWSL will be in the hugely popular video game franchise

EA Sports has announced that the NWSL will be playable on FIFA 23, starting on March 15.

FIFA 23 is the first game in the series that features women’s club leagues, with the Women’s Super League in England and the French Division 1 Féminine included when the game launched in the fall.

The American top flight was nowhere to be found, though EA Sports hinted that it would expand its offering of women’s leagues in the future.

That has now been confirmed, with the NWSL to be available on March 15 within Kick Off, Tournament Mode, Head to Head season/Co-op Seasons and Online Friendlies. There will also be four NWSL stadiums available in the game.

“The NWSL’s integration into EA Sports FIFA 23 is a monumental milestone for the league, the players and millions of football fans around the world as we continue pushing boundaries for the women’s game,” said NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman in a release.

“The athletes that call the NWSL home are some of the best in the world and we’re excited for the opportunity to further showcase their talent through this unique gaming experience. We can’t wait for fans to begin playing and we look forward to continuing this celebration of the players and the league when we kick off our 11th season on March 25.”

“Today is a historic day for both our players and fans,” added NWSL Players Association executive director Meghann Burke. “This is a thrilling time for women’s football, and we’re looking forward to collaborating with EA Sports to champion the sport and create new opportunities for fans around the world to engage with these incredibly talented players.”

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Fans say FIFA 23 Homegrown Eleven challenge solution is impossible

The FIFA 23 Homegrown Eleven challenge and its Future Swap Tokens aren’t going down well with fans, who call it impossible and pay-to-win

The FIFA 23 Homegrown Eleven challenge isn’t going down well with fans, some of whom call it an impossible task designed to push players toward paying more money in the sports game. The sports game’s latest chance to earn Swap Tokens requires players to win seven out of 12 matches, which sounds reasonable – but there’s a catch.

They have to win using first-owned cards. In FIFA speak, first-owned cards are player cards that only you have owned. They haven’t been purchased off the in-game market from other players. That significantly narrows the pool of possible team members available for the challenge – unless you buy more card packs.

Swap Tokens are highly desirable in FIFA games, since you can trade them for special, usually rare and high-level, rewards. Considering many players sell cards they don’t use or want in the in-game marketplace, that leaves some without enough cards to even form a team for Homegrown Eleven challenge and no chance to even try earning the event’s tokens.

The other issue players pointed out on Reddit is that, since you’re required to win over half the matches in the set, it’s impossible for everyone to actually complete it. Some players even said they started throwing the match and letting their opponents win just to give them a helping hand.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

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FIFA 23 update 6 patch notes and biggest changes

The latest FIFA 23 title update fixes a range of bugs and makes some welcome tweak to a few of the sports game’s features

The latest FIFA 23 update, FIFA 23 Title Update 6, is live now, bringing with it bug fixes and a few tweaks to the sports game‘s features to help improve the overall experience. Chief among the bugs addressed is one of the more humorous ones that removed Darwin Núñez’s hair.

The radar should also stop disappearing in matches, and the ball should stop rolling back to the attacker after a tackle. 

More importantly, the game’s AI got an overhaul to fix multiple issues. Goal keepers’ passes during goal kicks should be better now, referee logic is improved, and teammates will offer shorter passing options during Constant Pressure. AI teammates will also stop performing accidental skill moves and passes when locked onto a player without the ball.

The update also buffs stamina, decreasing stamina decay for Constant Pressure, Possession After Loss, and Press On Heavy Touch.

Finally for the FUT side of the update is a new help feature that’s meant to ease newcomers in the complexities of FIFA 23’s primary mode.

FIFA World Cup changes are slightly less significant – things like removing a bug that caused the incorrect ball to show up and removing results for unplayed matches.

The FIFA 23 update is live now on all platforms, and you can check the full range of notes on the FIFA 23 forums for all the little details.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

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