FIFA 23

 Come on baby, do the Hypermotion

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FORMAT PS5, PS4 / ETA SEP / PUB EA / DEV EA VANCOUVER / PLAYERS 1-22 (1-4 OFFLINE)

EA’s 30th FIFA game was assured of historic status long before PLAY landed in Vancouver for a behind-closed-doors hands-on. This time next year the FIFA licence will be in the hands of a different developer, while the mega-publisher prepares to launch EA Sports FC. Happily, and perhaps surprisingly, the team has grander ambitions than merely paying homage to the past.

The FIFA games’ connection to the World Cup goes back almost as far as the series itself, but never before have both men’s and women’s competitions featured. That changes this year, with both Qatar 2022 and Australia/ New Zealand 2023 fully integrated. Kits, balls, stadia, fireworks displays you’ll skip after the first group match: you know the score. Even bigger in terms of inclusivity is the addition of women’s club teams. The English WSL and French D1F get the same treatment as those World Cups, capitalising on the success of the recent Euros.