The time has come! The FIFA 23 release date couldn't be much closer at this point, and the UK release time is only a matter of hours away (at the time of writing).

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If you're looking for a last-minute pre-order detail on FIFA 23, it's worth noting that the high-street retailer Currys in the UK is offering 15 per cent off when customers use the code FIFA15 at checkout.

Of course, FIFA 23 comes hotly anticipated, with HyperMotion 2 technology and a greater investment in the women's game being two of the big upgrades on last year's edition. And you can keep on reading for all the key details!

FIFA 23 release date

The FIFA 23 release date is 30th September 2022, EA Sports has confirmed. You don't need us to tell you that this date couldn't be much closer, so it shouldn't be long before FIFA 23 is ready to play on your console or computer of choice.

What time does FIFA 23 come out in the UK?

The FIFA 23 release time is midnight local time, which means you should be able to unlock the game at 00:00am BST as the clock ticks over into 30th September.

Of course, late-night playing is nothing new for FIFA fans, so we'd expect there to be plenty of players on the servers at that point.

FIFA 23 pre-orders

FIFA 23 pre-orders were available at the likes of Amazon, GAME and the in-built store on your console of choice. You could've gotten your order in early, then, whether it was the Standard Edition or the Ultimate Edition that you were after.

Kai Havertz taking control in FIFA 23.
Kai Havertz taking control in FIFA 23. EA Sports

FIFA 23 early access

What about FIFA 23 early access? Fans have grown accustomed to sneaking in a few hours of pre-release play, and this year won't be any different in that regard.

Players who purchase the FIFA 23 Ultimate Edition will get three days of early access to the game, starting from 27th September. As ever, this should come in handy for hardcore fans who don't like to wait!

FIFA 23 beta codes

A handful of players got access to a Closed Beta of FIFA 23, even earlier than the Ultimate Edition early access, but we're sorry to say that you've missed the boat for that!

Invites have already been sent and the FIFA 23 beta was always meant to end on 1st September at 6pm BST. So if you're not in it already, you probably won't be.

Read more on FIFA:

FIFA 23 crossplay

EA has confirmed that FIFA 23 will support crossplay, with players able to link up with their friends in one-versus-one modes across FIFA Ultimate Team, Online Sessions and Online Friendlies. Pro Clubs could be set for crossplay functionality eventually, too.

However, this will not be a cross-generational feature. Players on the older PS4 and Xbox One systems will be able to play amongst themselves, while players on more modern systems will be able to play against each other across PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC and Stadia.

FIFA 23 gameplay

Jack Grealish in a screenshot from FIFA 23.
Jack Grealish in a screenshot from FIFA 23. EA Sports

FIFA 23 will have heaps of gameplay upgrades, with HyperMotion 2 being used to add a new level of realism to your matches. (Note: HyperMotion is still not available on the older PS4/Xbox One.)

Real-life footballers have been scanned in with this HyperMotion 2 feature set, including female players, which should make the on-pitch action look even more natural.

One of the big new additions will be Power Shots - when you press R1 and L1 (or the equivalent buttons on your system of choice), the camera will zoom in slightly and you'll be able to unleash a strike with all of the power at the player's disposal. Accuracy isn't easy to come by when you try this, but the reward for getting right will be some epic-looking goals.

Sprinting has also been overhauled, meaning that players now have different sprint types: an explosive sprinter will release their burst of energy immediately, but a lengthy sprinter might make up the space if you give them enough of a run-up.

Set pieces have been given an overhaul, too, with more information being put on the screen during free kicks, corners and penalties. Pens now come with a composure metre (strike at the right time and your shot is more likely to go where you want it), while corners and free kicks once again have a visible trajectory line on screen.

Speaking of things on the screen, the match day experience has been given an overhaul too, and you'll notice augmented-reality stats flashing up on the screen during particularly exciting replays. This does look pretty cool, to be honest.

Will FIFA 23 be free to play?

One of the biggest rumours circling EA Sports' football game franchise in recent months is the suggestion that FIFA 23 will be free to play.

Much like Konami's recent eFootball project (which dropped the PES branding and totally rewrote its own rulebook), the rumour suggested that EA could be cooking up a football game that will have no upfront cost. Instead, the microtransactions in its Ultimate Team mode would be its main source of income.

However, we know now that there was no truth to these rumours – FIFA 23 will be a paid-for product, just like all the other FIFA games that came before it.

FIFA 23 trailer

Take a look below and you'll see the FIFA 23 reveal trailer, which should tide you over nicely until the FIFA 23 release date on 30th September.

What happened between FIFA and EA Sports?

Here's a bit of context as to why this is the final FIFA game from EA. On 7th October 2021, fans around the world found out that Electronic Arts had filed trademarks in the UK and Europe for a "computer game software" titled EA Sports FC.

In a statement posted on the EA website on that same day, EA explained it is "exploring the idea of renaming our global EA Sports football games. This means we’re reviewing our naming rights agreement with FIFA, which is separate from all our other official partnerships and licenses across the football world."

Following that, on 12th October, EA announced that it had renewed its partnership with FIFPro, the organisation (separate from FIFA itself) that represents thousands of professional footballers and holds the rights to their names and likenesses. As we understand it, it is the relationship between EA and FIFPro that allows real player faces and names to appear in EA's games.

"FIFPRO will continue to be an important partner as we build the next generation of EA Sports football experiences for players around the world," said EA Sports vice president David Jackson in the announcement.

FIFA itself, the governing body of football in real life, posted its own statement on 15th October. One bit that stood out was this sentence: "FIFA is bullish and excited about the future in gaming and eSports for football, and it is clear that this needs to be a space that is occupied by more than one party controlling all rights."

Another interesting nugget was this claim: "FIFA is engaging with various industry players, including developers, investors and analysts, to build out a long-term view of the gaming, eSports and interactive entertainment sector." So it sounds like FIFA is looking to find new partners to collaborate with beyond EA.

Now we know that EA Sports and FIFA will collaborate for one final FIFA game, FIFA 23, before the companies go their separate ways.

From next year onwards, EA will be working on EA Sports FC while the FIFA organisation works with other gaming partners.

How will EA Sports FC be different?

Looking beyond FIFA 23 to the launch of EA Sports FC next year, the developers have said: "This new independent platform will bring fresh opportunity – to innovate, create and evolve.

"This is much more than just a change of symbol - as EA Sports, we’re committed to ensuring EA Sports FC is a symbol of change. We’re dedicated to meaningfully reinvesting in the sport, and we’re excited to work with a large and increasing number of partners to expand to new authentic experiences that bring joy, inclusivity and immersion to a global community of fans."

The blog post also made this big promise regarding next year's game: "Everything you love about our games will be part of EA Sports FC – the same great experiences, modes, leagues, tournaments, clubs and athletes will be there. Ultimate Team, Career Mode, Pro Clubs and VOLTA Football will all be there.

"Our unique licensing portfolio of more than 19,000+ players, 700+ teams, 100+ stadiums and 30 leagues that we’ve continued to invest in for decades will still be there, uniquely in EA Sports FC. That includes exclusive partnerships with the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, the MLS – and more to come."

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Authors

Rob Leane Gaming Editor
Rob LeaneGaming Editor

Rob Leane is the Gaming Editor at Radio Times, overseeing our coverage of the biggest games on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, PC, mobile and VR. Rob works across our website, social media accounts and video channels, as well as producing our weekly gaming newsletter. He has previously worked at Den of Geek, Stealth Optional and Dennis Publishing.

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