Electronic Arts is making some long-needed improvements to its annual soccer game with FIFA 23. The introduction of cross-play between PC, PS5, Stadia, and Xbox Series X/S players, as well as between PS4 and Xbox One players, is particularly exciting. Cross-play has been requested in FIFA by fans for a very long time. Yet as exciting as it is, EA is actually holding back on full support for the technology. Specifically, FIFA 23 is not enabling cross-play for its incredibly popular Pro Clubs game mode.An official confirmation from EA has made clear FIFA 23's cross-play will not be coming to Pro Clubs in the foreseeable future. The reason for this, according to EA, is to ensure that its "product innovation is delivered at quality." Further, Pro Clubs, according to EA, requires a level of technical intricacy that is beyond what the developers are able to support at this time."Technical intricacy" is an understated way of describing the situation. Pro Clubs in FIFA allow up to 22 players together in a single online multiplayer match, with between 2-11 real players per team. Connecting 22 players together on a single platform is no simple matter, so adding the intermixing of up to four different platforms makes it that much more challenging. In practice the platforms are less of a complication than the 22 players, but EA is only just exploring cross-play, so it's believable when it says more time is needed.
That hasn't stopped FIFA fans from being disappointed and frustrated with the situation, however. Demands for cross-play to be enabled for FIFA 23 Pro Clubs are being shared across the internet, with FIFA YouTuber JCC rallying players to the cause. JCC and other prominent names in the FIFA community are accusing EA of prioritizing FIFA Ultimate Team over core experiences like Pro Clubs.
To EA's credit, it has issued a response to growing frustrations within the FIFA community, saying that it sees the feedback. Electronic Arts then points to its FIFA Twitter account for future updates regarding its plans for upcoming games. It's not a commitment, by any means, but it's as close as the game publisher will get to saying that something is being worked on.
FIFA 23 is all but certain not to feature cross-play for Pro Clubs at launch, or for the duration of the game's availability. Perhaps Pro Club cross-play will end up being tested on FIFA 23 like how basic cross-play functionality was for FIFA 22. It's more likely that the feature is further off, coming with EA Sports FC's release in 2023 or beyond. It's also entirely possible that FIFA fans are right, and that EA's priorities lie in FUT. It's up to EA to prove that criticism wrong.
FIFA 23 releases September 30 on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
