EA is celebrating the early success of FIFA 23, with a record number of players playing the game during its launch period.

FIFA 23 has been performing quite well since its release late last month, at least according to EA. Of course, a FIFA game doing well on its debut isn’t exactly new, but it’s particularly noteworthy in light of a few things this time around, the biggest being that FIFA 23’s launch has broken records.

Electronic Arts announced today in an official press release that more than 10.3 million players have tried the latest instalment in its annual football simulator franchise in its first week.

This is the biggest launch ever for the series in its history, and EA said it is overwhelmed by the response from FIFA 23 players, which has been “nothing short of incredible”.

The company also took the opportunity to celebrate all of the features that have contributed to this new record, listing the 300 partners, 19,00 players, 700 teams, 100 stadiums and 30 leagues that fans will have access to in the game. They also mentioned things such as men’s and women’s (or even mixed…) FIFA World Cups in the game, as well as various collaborations such as the FIFA 23 Ted Lasso content and special FIFA Ultimate Team items featuring illustrations by Marvel artists.

In addition to what’s already in the game, EA has also teased content coming in the future. According to Nick Wlodyka, general manager of EA Sports, “exciting updates” are planned for FIFA 23’s women’s club content. Exactly when this will be released is unclear, but Wlodyka stated that EA and the developers are “just getting started” on supporting the game.

FIFA 23’s early success is at least partly because it is EA’s last FIFA game.

Following reports that FIFA demanded exorbitant fees from EA to continue using the brand name, EA has officially announced that it will drop and rename its football games EA Sports FC next year. In many ways, this is the end of an era, ending a partnership that has lasted nearly 30 years. FIFA has long been a household name for fans of sports-based video games, so many believe EA is making a mistake by leaving the FIFA brand for a game that doesn’t have so much history behind it.

Despite its success, EA’s latest FIFA game is not without its problems. Although the critical reception has been positive overall, FIFA 23 was criticised for several issues at launch. They complained about things such as the anti-cheat system in the PC version, the Nintendo Switch version still lacking anything new compared to previous versions, and the continued prevalence of microtransactions in Ultimate Team mode. It is unclear whether these complaints will even be addressed if EA drops the FIFA name and enters a new era with the EA Sports FC brand.

Source: EA