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One of the biggest headlines regarding features in FIFA 23 will be the presence of cross-play. When the feature was introduced as a test in FIFA 22, fans got quite excited as it was occurring for the first time in a series. It will be a full-on feature and the upcoming release and could benefit all the players massively.
FIFA 23 will be released worldwide on September 30 with three days of early access to selected players. There are a great many things that have been promised to its players, and some of them have been revealed.
The deep dive on August 11 showcased how EA Sports plans to implement cross-play in Ultimate Team and what it would mean for the popular mode. Putting all the reveals aside, having the cross-play feature will be a much-needed boon that goes well beyond players' ability to fight each other irrespective of their platforms.
There are several benefits FIFA 23 will get from cross-play in Ultimate Team
The presence of cross-play was showcased in the first trailer, with no shortage of controversy. It was soon realized that cross-play would be present in Ultimate Team but not in Pro Clubs, and it hasn't gone down well to date. Nevertheless, something is better than nothing as far as the feature is concerned.
Till now, players in FIFA 22 are restricted from playing with players on their respective platforms. This has been seen as bizarre given how recent technology has received major upgrades on PCs and consoles. EA Sports has noted this and decided to reduce the gulf between the devices.
Players will be able to compete with each other in FIFA 23 irrespective of the platform of their choice (excluding the Nintendo Switch version). It will be a common market for console players, and PC players will have their own. However, anyone can play with each other irrespective of the master and the platform they're playing on.
Many believe this will allow players to compete in the truest sense, as many games today come with cross-play by default. With a reduction in the hardware capabilities of devices in recent times, this change was much required for a long time.
However, a common pooled market will certainly provide more options for players to acquire items for footballers. While it's unclear whether average prices will increase, the available supply of each card will undoubtedly be higher.
Traditionally, there have always been more players on the PlayStation console than on Xbox. This could be primarily due to how the sales of the older generation have occurred over the years. With cross-play enabled, matchmaking time will be reduced on all platforms more than it used to be in the past.
There will be some challenges as FIFA 23 becomes the first game in the series with cross-play at launch. It's still a new avenue for EA Sports, and the last thing they require is a system that refuses to work as intended. The developers have to ensure that the feature works just as intended.
While there's an element of uncertainty, there are potential gains for players. The impact of cross-play on FIFA 23 Ultimate Team can only be assessed when the game fully launches on September 30.
Disclaimer: This article reflects the opinions of the writer.
