FIFA 23

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The virtual football pitch for FIFA 23, released in September 2022, has officially been cleared. As of late June 2025, FIFA 23 exists primarily as a historical artifact in the world of football gaming, with all official live service and content development having ceased long ago. The spotlight has definitively shifted to its successor, EA Sports FC 24 (released September 2023), and more importantly, the currently active flagship, EA Sports FC 25 (released September 2024).

For a small, dedicated segment of the PC player base, FIFA 23’s life continues through robust community modding, but for the vast majority, the journey has moved on.

FIFA 23 in Mid-2025: A Game in Retirement

FIFA 23 holds a unique place in gaming history as the final installment developed by EA Sports under the iconic FIFA license. The partnership ended, leading to EA’s rebranding of its football series.

  • End of Official Support: EA Sports officially ceased all live service and major content updates for FIFA 23 shortly after the launch of EA Sports FC 24 in September 2023. This means there are no new seasonal objectives, no new promotional events or card releases in Ultimate Team, and no further official gameplay patches or balance changes from the developer.
  • Player Count Decline: As expected for an annual sports title that has been superseded by two newer iterations, the active player base for FIFA 23 has dwindled dramatically. According to Steam Charts, in late June 2025, FIFA 23 averages around 1,877 concurrent players, with a 24-hour peak of only 2,024. This is a stark contrast to its all-time peak of over 110,000 players at its launch. The vast majority of players have migrated to EA Sports FC 24 or are now actively playing EA Sports FC 25.
  • Community-Driven Updates (Mods): The enduring spirit of FIFA 23 for PC players is kept alive by its vibrant modding community, particularly on platforms like Nexus Mods. As recently as February 2025, “Squads Updates for FIFA 23” were released to reflect real-world transfers from the 2024-2025 season. Other mods continue to provide updated themes, kits, stadiums, and even add new leagues or competitions. This niche community allows players who prefer the final “FIFA” branded experience to keep their game somewhat current.
  • Ultimate Team (FUT) Market: The FIFA 23 Ultimate Team market is completely stagnant. Without new card releases, promotional events, or a large active player base, card prices would have settled into predictable patterns long ago, with virtually no major fluctuations or trading opportunities. The competitive and economic aspects of FUT are entirely over for FIFA 23.
  • Career Mode: Career Mode remains fully playable, but without any official updates from EA, rosters are frozen at the last official update from late 2023. As mentioned, modders have provided some “24-25 season” updates for leagues for PC players.

FIFA 23’s Innovations at Launch: A Retrospective

When it launched, FIFA 23 introduced several notable features and refinements, many of which served as foundational elements for the subsequent EA Sports FC series:

  • HyperMotion2 Technology: This was a significant leap in animation capture, utilizing real match data from two full football matches (men’s and women’s) to create over 6,000 realistic animations. This resulted in more fluid player movement, authentic tackling, and more realistic ball physics, particularly on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC versions.
  • Women’s Club Football: For the first time in the series, FIFA 23 included fully licensed women’s club teams from the FA Women’s Super League (England) and the Division 1 Arkema (France), significantly expanding the playable content and roster.
  • Cross-Play (Limited Implementation): A highly requested feature, FIFA 23 introduced cross-play for players on the same generation of consoles (PS5 with Xbox Series X|S, PS4 with Xbox One) in 1v1 modes like FUT Division Rivals, FUT Champions, and Online Friendlies. This helped consolidate player pools. However, it notably excluded PC players from cross-play with consoles, and Pro Clubs did not support cross-play.
  • Redesigned Set Pieces: Corner kicks, free kicks, and penalties were comprehensively overhauled, offering players more granular control over ball placement, power, and curl.
  • Power Shots: A new, high-risk, high-reward shooting mechanic that required precise timing and extra input for powerful, but slower, wind-up shots.
  • FUT Moments: A new single-player mode in Ultimate Team offering bite-sized challenges to earn “Stars,” a new currency for purchasing players and packs, providing an alternative to traditional match grind.
  • Overhauled Chemistry System in FUT: This was a major change, simplifying links between players based on shared clubs, leagues, and nations, regardless of their in-game position, offering more flexibility in squad building. Icons and FUT Heroes always had maximum chemistry.
  • New FUT Heroes and Icons: A continuous flow of legendary players (like Yaya Touré, Park Ji-Sung) and new Icons were added throughout its live service, providing new high-tier options for Ultimate Team squads.
  • World Cup Game Modes: Free World Cup game modes for both men’s and women’s tournaments were added post-launch, reflecting the real-world events.

The New Era: EA Sports FC 24 and the Reigning EA Sports FC 25

The world of football simulation gaming has decisively moved forward. EA Sports FC 24 (the immediate successor to FIFA 23) saw its player counts significantly diminish by mid-2025 (Steam average around 2,886 players in late June 2025), largely due to the release and continued support of EA Sports FC 25.

  • EA Sports FC 25 (Current Flagship): Released in September 2024, FC 25 is the current, active flagship title for EA’s football simulation. Its Steam player count in May 2025 averaged over 52,000 players, with a peak of over 96,000, indicating a very healthy and active player base. Recent updates for FC 25 (as of June 2025) include:
    • Season 8 Launch: The game officially launched its Season 8 on June 27, 2025, bringing a fresh Battle Pass, new content, and rewards across various modes.
    • Gameplay Balance Patches: Significant adjustments to gameplay based on community feedback, such as moderately increased accuracy of Ground Passes for high-attribute players, reduced effectiveness of rushing goalkeepers (both PlayStyle and PlayStyle+), and slightly increased accuracy of headers performed via shooting input.
    • Ultimate Team Updates: Increased the maximum number of PlayStyle+ assignments on UT Player Items to five, allowing for more powerful and versatile player cards. New Premium Pass content and promotions like “Shapeshifters” (June 13, 2025) continue to keep the UT market dynamic.
    • Career Mode Enhancements: Refreshed UI for Fixtures & Results, new ICON selections for Player Career, and the addition of 5v5 Youth Tournament Matches playable in co-op for Manager Career.
    • Final Squad Updates: Recent updates (e.g., the June 3, 2025 Squad Update) for FC 25 include the latest real-world transfers (like Matthew Craig’s inclusion, or rumors like Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid), new real face scans, and player rating changes, ensuring the game reflects the ongoing professional football season as closely as possible.

Conclusion: FIFA 23’s Final Whistle and Enduring Legacy

FIFA 23 stands as a pivotal marker in the annals of football gaming history – the end of a long and iconic era. While it brought valuable innovations like HyperMotion2 and improved cross-play (for its time), its official developer support has long concluded, and its player base has largely moved on.

For those with a strong sense of nostalgia for the final FIFA-branded game, the vibrant PC modding scene offers a way to keep FIFA 23 somewhat updated with current rosters and minor tweaks. However, for the cutting edge of virtual football, the dynamic, evolving, and actively supported experience now resides entirely within the EA Sports FC franchise, particularly with EA Sports FC 25 leading the charge. FIFA 23 will forever be remembered as the curtain call for a legendary name, paving the way for a new chapter in digital football simulations.

Rating

Graphics and Sound
4
Controls
4
Gameplay
4
Lasting Appeal
4
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