FIFA 22 release date: UK launch time and first Ones to Watch

FIFA Ultimate Team squads are starting to take shape, too, with the first batch of Ones to Watch cards dropping into the game today. Things are heating up all over the shop.

And so, if you're looking for the lowdown on FIFA 22, keep on reading and we'll try our best to answer all of your key queries about the game. Check it out.

FIFA 22 release date

When does FIFA 22 come out? Today! The official FIFA 22 release date is 1st October 2021 - from this day, everyone will be able to play the Standard Edition version of the game in the UK and beyond, on every platform going including PS4, Xbox One and PC.

FIFA 22 UK launch time

When can you play FIFA 22? The unlock time for FIFA 22 has actually been and gone already, so you should be able to download the game now and start playing as soon as you like. There is some debate around whether the game dropped at midnight BST or 8 am BST this morning - either way though, it's available now and you can get stuck in whenever you want. Enjoy!

FIFA 22 demo and early access

Members of EA Play can jump into FIFA 22 at the moment - you should be able to download the game on your platform of choice and try it out for 10 hours, as long as you are a member of EA Play.

If you're not already a member of an EA Play, new members can join for as little as £0.79 on the EA website. If you've already burned through your ten hours and you're looking to keep playing, you'll need to buy yourself the FIFA 22 Ultimate Edition - read on for more details!

FIFA 22 Ones to Watch release date

The first batch of 'Ones to Watch' (OTW for short) has also been revealed for FIFA 22, and we now know the date on which these suped-up cards will start to appear in FIFA Ultimate Team.

The first Ones to Watch will release into FIFA 22 on 1st October 2021, and they will be available until 8th October 2021. Below is the latest list of who is featuring this time, alongside their new ratings - you'll notice there are a number of PSG players and a collection of Premier League stars.

• Lionel Messi - 93
• Cristiano Ronaldo - 91
• Romelu Lukaku - 88
• Achraf Hakimi - 85
• Jack Grealish - 84
• Georginio Wijnaldum - 84
• David Alaba - 84
• Ibrahima Konate - 78

Which platforms and consoles can play FIFA 22?

EA has promised that FIFA 22 "will be available worldwide on October 1 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC via Origin and Steam, Stadia, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One". The official press release also confirms that a Legacy Edition - with new kits and players, but lacking the new gameplay features - will be available on Nintendo Switch. This is broadly what fans were expecting.

How much does FIFA 22 cost?

When it comes to major retailers, the FIFA 22 price is still fairly high - GAME will sell you a physical copy for more than £50, as will Amazon, and that's just for the base version of the game. If you want the Ultimate Edition, you'll be looking at upwards of £80.

If you're happy with a digital code for the base game, though, there are a few FIFA 22 deals going around - CD Keys, for example, has a tidy discount going at the moment. Check out any of the links below to think about making a purchase:

• Order a physical copy from GAME (prices start at £54.99)
• Order a physical copy from Amazon (prices start at £59.99)
• Buy a digital code from CD Keys (special offer price of £38.99)

Will FIFA 22 have VAR?

We've already played the game for a few hours and we can confirm that FIFA 22 does not have VAR. Video-assisted referees do not feature in the game. But it's worth remembering that everything in FIFA is computerised – this is a video game, after all – so you shouldn't expect to see any dodgy goals being allowed. If your shot doesn't cross the line, the game will know!

What's new in FIFA 22 gameplay?

EA is particularly keen to shout about HyperMotion, a new tech advancement, which the company describes like so: "HyperMotion technology enabled the integration of the first-ever motion capture of 22 professional footballers playing at high intensity. Additionally, EA’s proprietary machine-learning algorithm learns from more than 8.7 million frames of advanced match capture, then writes new animations in real time to create organic football movement across a variety of interactions on the pitch. Whether it’s a shot, pass or cross, HyperMotion transforms how players move on and off the ball."

HyperMotion will be present in the PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Google Stadia versions of the game. But if you're playing on PS4, Xbox One and PC, you will still get to see some changes from last year's game. As for what the game will look like with HyperMotion, there's now a gorgeous trailer that shows off that very thing.

We've embedded the snazzy new game trailer for your viewing pleasure right here:

Touching on some other changes, EA says, "The new game also offers deep and innovative features across other parts of gameplay and our most popular modes including Career Mode, VOLTA FOOTBALL, Pro Clubs and FIFA Ultimate Team. Fans can expect more consistency and distinct personalities between the posts with a complete goalkeeper system rebuild, an all-new Create a Club experience in Career Mode, reimagined gameplay in VOLTA FOOTBALL, and the introduction of FIFA Ultimate Team Heroes, completely new items that represent the stories and glory of cult players and fan-favourites."

EA has also confirmed that FIFA 22 will feature the brand new UEFA Europa Conference League, so Spurs fans will be able to play all of their European fixtures this season on the game.

And the franchise is making great progress by having the first English speaking commentator in the game by bringing football expert Alex Scott in to talk through our games.

Want to see more of what the gameplay will be like when you start playing FIFA 22? Take a look at the FIFA 22 spotlight video which will give you a pretty good idea!

FIFA 22 cover star

EA has also announced the FIFA 22 cover star, saying, "Paris Saint-Germain striker and global football icon Kylian Mbappé graces the cover for the second year in a row, making him one of few to earn back-to-back cover star status, alongside others like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo."

Mbappé has reacted to the news, saying: “Being on back-to-back FIFA covers is amazing. I have a very special relationship with the game and look forward to enjoying FIFA 22 alongside all of you”.

• For the latest news and expert tips on getting the best deals this year, take a look at our Black Friday 2021 and Cyber Monday 2021 guides.

FIFA 22 trailer

The FIFA 22 reveal trailer showcases the motion-capture work that went into creating the new movement styles in the game. And here's a fun fact for you: some parts of the trailer were filmed at National League grounds, including Woking FC's Laithwaite Community Stadium, which has led to speculation that the fifth tier of English football could finally be coming to FIFA at some point. Fingers crossed on that front.

One particular clip from the FIFA 22 trailers has been doing the rounds online, too, for some quite funny reasons - check out Steve Bruce's lightning-fast pace in the promo video below!

Read more on FIFA:

• FIFA 23 release date - when is it coming?
• FIFA soundtrack - every song from every game
• FIFA 23 ratings - the best players revealed
• FIFA 23 price - how much does it cost?
• FIFA 23 crossplay - new feature explained
• FIFA 23 Heroes and Icons - all FUT World Cup cards
• EA Sports FC - what do we know about the reboot?
• FIFA 22 formations and tactics - tips from a pro player
• FIFA 22 cheap players - find a bargain in Career Mode
• FIFA 22 young players - the best wonderkids to sign
• FIFA 22 Career Mode teams - the best and worst clubs
• FIFA 22 goalkeepers - the best shot-stoppers in the game
• FIFA 22 defenders - best RB, LB, CB, RWB and LWB
• FIFA 22 midfielders - best CM, CDM and CAM
• FIFA 22 wingers - best LM, RM, LW and RW
• FIFA 22 strikers - best and fastest ST and CF
• FIFA 22 review - a giant leap for realism, but some things never change

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