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FIFA 23 couldn't have hoped for a better launch, as it's off to a rollicking start based on the numbers released by EA. According to the publishers, more than 10 million players have joined the game across all platforms in the opening week. These numbers are new for the franchise and overtake all previous records, showcasing the impact EA Sports has managed to create.
Over the years, the franchise's popularity has grown with the empowerment of football all over the globe. Millions play every annual release despite the imperfections that are always there. This year's release has a more considerable nostalgia value as the franchise gets a rebrand next time around.
Naturally, players don't want to give up the last opportunity to play what's technically the last FIFA game. Moreover, there's a FIFA World Cup to be hosted in November, and there will be celebrations in the game. Unlike ever, this has been aggregated to get a huge number of players.
FIFA 23 has got the start it needed but will have to improve on its performances
Earlier on October 12, EA Sports handed out numbers for the opening week of FIFA 23. According to reports, 10.3 million players have played the game at least once in the opening week, which breaks all previous records. Naturally, the publishers are quite ecstatic with the numbers and success of the launch.
Nick Wlodyka, SVP and GM of EA SPORTS FC, had the following words to express the company's feelings about the achievement:
“The response from our fans has been nothing short of incredible, and we’re thrilled that our community is playing with their favorite players and teams across FIFA 23 in record numbers. With both the Men’s and Women’s World Cups and exciting updates to our women’s club football content in-game still yet to come, we’re just getting started on providing players with the most authentic and immersive experience yet."
Wednesday's announcement also practically confirms that the game will get dedicated game modes themed around the FIFA World Cup. EA Sports has also mentioned that these will be added as post-launch content and will be available to all players free of cost.
While the start is what EA Sports would have hoped for, the launch of FIFA 23 hasn't been without its issues. This has been much more of a problem for PC players where issues have been caused by the anti-cheat feature, for instance. There have been a couple of title updates that have managed it somewhat.
The issues persist, and this year's release is anything but a finished article. EA Sports will have to make sure that the problems there get removed so the game can achieve its full potential.
