EA SPORTS always has a big job on its hands impressing football fans around the world with new features and FIFA 23 will be no different.
When FIFA 22 launched last year, there were a number of changes made to the game, from women’s players coming to Pro Clubs to a complete restructure of Ultimate Team’s FUT Champions Weekend League rewards system.
A number of FIFA 23 leaks have surfaced already, hinting at the likes of free-to-play and World Cup content coming in the next installment. However, at the time of writing, Electronic Arts are still yet to confirm anything and have rejected the opportunity to comment on speculation.
So, with a penciled-in release date of October 2022, there’s no better time to put together a shopping list of new features for FIFA 23.
Online Career Mode
At this point, an Online Career Mode is the stuff of myth and legend.
It’s strange, too, as Madden introduced Connected Careers back in 2012 – allowing players to progress through their stories together, similarly to an Online Football Manager save. Picture it… You and a friend manage teams in the same league, buying players from each other, and competing for trophies.
In FIFA 23, there’s a high chance this will finally come to the football video game series, and so it should.
EA posted a job listing in June 2021, which reads: “As an Online Software Engineer, you will help build our networked play development team – whether that be in our online career mode, ultimate team, or core online systems and protocols.”
While that doesn’t confirm anything for the next installment, fans have waited long enough. It’s time to give us the option.
Cross-platform play & FUT market
If you look around the industry and the top games, they are all moving to cross-platform play. Apex Legends, Call of Duty, Fortnite… The list goes on. FIFA, however, is still lagging behind and it needs to change.
A cross-platform feature would allow PlayStation, Xbox, and PC players to join Pro Clubs together, compete in Ultimate Team, and play Co-Op. It would be a huge boost for friends groups around the world, currently divided not just by console manufacturers but also console generations.
On top of that, a struggling FUT market – which has been in a terrible state since FIFA 22 was released – could do with a stimulus. By creating a market that was consistent across all platforms, more cards would be available, there would be more accounts to create demand, and prices for mid-range cards may start to increase again.
In the current game, there has been a serious issue with card values plummeting, meaning the grind for high-rated cards was so much worse than years gone by. A mixed market could go some way to resolving that.
Its inclusion has been leaked, so fingers crossed.
Create-A-Club storylines
With the rise of Ted Lasso on Apple TV+, featuring a fictional football team called AFC Richmond, Create-A-Club was a very timely addition in FIFA 22.
Now, while the idea itself is something fans have wanted to see for years, it was very much a simple foundation that needs building on. In short, Create-A-Club was just Career Mode where you create your own kits, stadium, and choose a league to be added to.
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In FIFA 23, it could differentiate itself with the addition of storylines. There are so many trials and tribulations that come with building a new football team, from securing branding deals to building a fanbase. There’s something about rocking up to your first fixture with no custom commentary lines and a full house that doesn’t make it feel real.
This could include regular interaction with the owner, a forced start in lower divisions, or decisions that directly impact season ticket holders. But one thing is for certain, the current iteration does not go far enough to be immersive.
Contract Expiry list
This one is a really simple change: A contract expiry list needs to be added to Career Mode.
For free agents, whose contracts have already run out or been terminated, there is a special menu that collects the names of everybody you can sign. Though, the key is to negotiate with the player before everybody starts sniffing around for their signature.
Currently, it is possible to sign players to a free contract during the season if their current deal is ending at the end of the season. However, the process to actually find these hidden gems is quite lengthy – as you have to scroll through, club by club, until you find one.
To make things easier, a menu feature (or regional scouting option) that brings together a list of people you could sign to contract expiry deals would be perfect.
Ultimate Team online tournaments
The focus of Ultimate Team is chiefly steered towards FUT Champions Weekend League these days, as that’s where the biggest prizes can be won and you get to compete against top players. In fact, Division Rivals, Squad Battles, and FUT Draft have become sideshows in recent years.
This has created a grind for players to get the best possible team together through the week, to then compete on the weekends. FUT offers a number of ways to strengthen your team, from completing SBCs to playing matches for coins (which can be spent on upgrades).
With that said, rolling back the years and reintroducing online tournaments would give people additional competitive content to engage with. Plus, now that EA owns a number of major competition licenses, from Champions League to the World Cup and Copa Libertadores, the possibilities are endless in terms of integrating those into Ultimate Team.
Bring back the days of bulk buying Irish players for a competition… It’s not much to ask.
Full-time International Management
The Qatar World Cup is among us, starting in November 2022, and now would be the perfect time to put increased focus on international football.
At the moment, the World Cup and EUROs are featured in Career Mode, but they’re very much a sidequest in the grand scheme of things. With no options to be a full-time international manager, but instead, balance club football with a national side, it’s time for that to change.
After all, does that really happen? How many managers at the Qatar World Cup will be picking a team for Aston Villa (A) and then rock up at a major tournament.
In FIFA 23, the developers should add a full-time international manager feature to Career Mode, allowing you to compete in the Nations League, WC Qualifiers, and gather club football data to pick your best team. This would be a great option after a few years at club level, or even to start your journey.
