Usually taking place in the Summer, the World Cup does well to plug the gap between domestic seasons, providing a competition at a time when soccer isn’t usually airing. This year, however, the tournament takes place in Qatar. To dodge the heat in this country, it commences in the fall, which puts it in the middle of the soccer season, and just weeks after the release of FIFA 23. This is an anomaly, and has been polarizing to fans of the sport, but could prove to be more difficult for FIFA players as well as EA itself.
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The Effect of the World Cup on FIFA 23
FIFA typically releases in September or October, and the player count generally wanes as the months tick by. Summer is a time that soccer isn’t played much professionally, aside from a few international tournaments, so the thirst to experience in the virtual space will dwindle. The FIFA World Cup’s popularity provides a reason to get excited for the sport while other sports dominate the headlines, and the tournament’s November 20th start could mean that there’s no reason to get excited to play FIFA in the 2023 summer. A FIFA game is usually only relevant for one year, as the franchise’s turnaround is fast, and the World Cup would have been a perfect way to ensure it has a strong and dedicated audience all year round.
A World Cup mode has already been shown for FIFA 23, and while it may be detrimental to the game’s long-term success, it could provoke more players to invest in the FIFA ecosystem early, as there will be more soccer than ever so early after the release of EA’s flagship soccer franchise. The Premier League will return on Boxing Day and continue from then uninterrupted, and while FIFA 23 may be shaken by the obscure placement of the World Cup, it could be made all the more interesting because of it.
The World Cup’s Influence on Player Ratings
The separation of domestic and world soccer has always been beneficial, not just to the design of FIFA, but the player ratings as well. Each tournament brings out the best in some top talent, as players like Mesut Ozil, Federico Chiesa, James Rodriguez, and Milan Baros have all found success on the international stage. Summer competitions allow EA to gather information and rate the players according to their performances for both club and country, but with a fall World Cup, it’s a tough ask to adjust scores based on their tournament performance while in the middle of a domestic season. Player ratings in FIFA are very important, and fans will be quick to notice if they aren’t indicative of performance.
The World Cup in November is difficult to process for soccer fans everywhere. It’s always been a Summer event, but the Qatar host nation means it will surely have the same, sunny feel. For FIFA, the awkward placement of the tournament could be a difficult obstacle to overcome, but it could also be the blessing it needs to be the best in the series yet. FIFA 23 is already a success, but the World Cup’s influence will likely have a huge impact, be it beneficial or detrimental.
FIFA 23 is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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