FIFA 23 will not feature Russian teams, EA confirms. This news, which follows on from the company’s decision to pull the Russian national team and all Russian clubs from FIFA 22 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, means that the removed teams and other Russia-related items will also be absent from the next iteration of EA’s football game.
In a statement to Eurogamer, EA says that, “EA Sports stands in solidarity with the Ukrainian people and like so many voices across the world of football, calls for peace and an end to the invasion of Ukraine. In line with our partners at FIFA and UEFA, EA Sports will not include the Russian national team or Russian clubs in FIFA 23.”
EA also halted sales of its games and content in Russia and Belarus following the invasion of Ukraine, including those of its FIFA Ultimate Team mode. All Russia-related items were removed from sale in the Ultimate Team mode, although players who already owned such items were allowed to keep them.
EA recently fully unveiled the newest title in the FIFA series with a reveal trailer. The new game sees cover star Kylian Mbappé returning for a third season running, alongside Chelsea forward Sam Kerr – who becomes the first female FIFA athlete to appear on an internationally released cover in the series. She’ll also be the last – as the series is parting ways with the FIFA licence from next year.
The publisher also recently unveiled the full details on FIFA 23 crossplay and cross-platform functionality. We’ve also got the FIFA 23 system requirements if you want to make sure that your rig is ready for kick-off.