FIFA 23 accidentally launches a month early for some players

FIFA 23 is supposed to release at the end of September, and it still is — unless you’re already playing this year’s soccer title. It appears the game has been available for download a month early for a few players. Whoops.

@FUT23News reported on Twitter that “EA [has] accidentally made FIFA 23 playable for some players,” and the tweet was accompanied by an off-screen shot of the Xbox Series X/S version of the game downloading. According to Mirror, these early players have access to what appears to be the full game, including FIFA Ultimate Team. As such, this year’s player ratings are being shared on social media. Other Twitter users with early access to the game have shared sneak peeks of the soundtrack.

As of the time of this writing, there are mixed reports about the availability of FIFA 23. EA Play members, in addition to random Xbox Series X/S owners, were able to grab the game early. Some report that they’ve lost access to the download, while others continue to play it. In any case, FIFA 23 was clearly available for some people well ahead of time, and it gave us an early look at some of the game’s specifics before we were supposed to see them.

As for the proper release date, FIFA 23 will be available September 30 on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Those who preorder the Ultimate Edition can jump in a few days early, on September 27. They’ll be able to enjoy the game’s new crossplay features then.

FIFA 23 will be the last game under the EA banner to carry the FIFA name, as the publisher’s partnership with the organization has come to an end. The soccer series will be renamed EA Sports FC, and the first game with that branding will be available in summer 2023.