Why is FIFA 23 Pro Clubs not cross-platform in the game?

Pro Clubs is amongst the most popular and entertaining game modes in FIFA history but has been denied access to cross-play in FIFA 23. This has come as a surprise to many, as it would've benefitted massively from the inclusion of cross-play, especially with the game mode being notorious for its sparse matchmaking. Alongside VOLTA Football, Pro Clubs is the only major game mode in FIFA 23 that does not feature cross-play.

This has led to a lot of disappointment and backlash from the FIFA community, who are up in arms regarding this harsh omission from the game. Thus, the issue has become a global trending topic on X (Formerly Twitter), with fans weighing in on the discussion and using their influence to get a response from EA Games.

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Will Pro Clubs ever receive cross-play capabilities in FIFA 23?

Despite being integral to the social aspect of gaming in FIFA, Pro Clubs not having cross-play capabilities is a rather disappointing decision on EA's part. The game revolves around the concept of coming together with friends to enjoy the beautiful game on the virtual pitch.

How did EA Sports justify this decision?

After receiving significant backlash from disgruntled fans on various social media platforms, EA Sports released a Deep Dive regarding various aspects of the two game modes in question. While these Pitch Notes focus on various new features and mechanics that are employed in these game modes, including the new leveling system, they also addressed the issue of cross-play in the following lines:

"While we're excited with the first steps to bring new cross-play features to FIFA 23, we also recognize what cross-play functionality could mean to the Pro Clubs mode with the potential for improving matchmaking and allowing friends from different platforms of the same generation to play together."

These were the words of Richard Walz, Game Design Director for the mode in question, and VOLTA Football. They acknowledged the issues at hand with cross-play, while also promising to work towards an environment where fans are satisfied with matchmaking across all platforms in the future. Here's what the statement said:

"With the scale of such an important feature, our goal is to bring you the best possible experiences. As we look at our cross-play future, we’re focused on matchmaking in Pro Clubs, VOLTA, and FUT Co-op, as well as cross-platform lobby, invites, and ultimately cross-platform Pro Clubs."

The statement continued:

"We’re eager to provide updates in the future as the team continues to execute the plan for the future of cross-play. We love the passion of our community, and you help strengthen our resolve to push the mode forward and to bring quality changes for you to enjoy as players."

From their explanation, it appears that the game mode did not receive cross-play capabilities in FIFA 23 as the feature is relatively new in the series, and implementing it with gamers from different platforms in the same squad is a rather tricky scenario for the developers to tackle.

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When will Pro Clubs receive cross-play treatment in FIFA 23?

Although the developers addressed the issue of cross-play in their Deep Dive notes and promised that the excluded game modes will have cross-play features in the future, they did not reveal any details regarding when this will come to fruition. Regardless, this is a step in the right direction and a testament to how influential the FIFA community can be with their efforts and online presence.