The new FIFA 23 is crossplay, which first leaked earlier this year to much fan excitement. Although the game has many defining new features, crossplay is surely one of the most impactful.
The FIFA series is by far the most recognizable soccer franchise in the world of gaming. It first began in 1993, and since then at least one new installment in the series has been released every year without fail. Over the years, the series has added things like new game modes and teams, with FIFA 23 featuring more women's soccer clubs than ever before, as well as the ability to play as Ted Lasso and his team from the hit show Ted Lasso. Other additions to FIFA 23 include Power Shots, a Moments gameplay mode for shorter bursts of play, and it's the first in the series to utilize HyperMotion2 capture technology for more realistic movements than ever before.
Although players have been able to play FIFA against online opponents for many years, until now, crossplay was never an option. While there are two distinct groups for the new feature, with consoles from the previous generation and current generation being separated, the feature means FIFA 23 players will have a much broader player pool. EA Producer Sam Kovalev discussed this new feature in a recent interview, revealing how he feels the addition affects competition.
EA's Sam Kovalev Discusses FIFA 23 Crossplay & Leaderboards
In an interview with Screen Rant, Kovalev addressed the many changes that have come to FIFA 23. Although the game is also designed with less competitive players in mind, Kovalev does believe crossplay in FIFA 23 has the potential to add a new dimension to competition. When asked how he thinks the addition of crossplay will impact players competitively, Kovalev responded:
I think that the whole addition of crossplay and the leaderboards, in a way yes, it will kind of allow players to look on the global scale, on the competition, on the other players, and spark this competitive spirit within those players. So I feel it provides this kind of extra visibility. And also when you play online, you will be able to see the icon. "Am I playing right now against the owner of this particular console or a PC?" It's visual, for some people, it might spark this extra desire to compete. For some people, it might not do the thing, but I feel like keeping it transparent for our players, I think that's always good.
Kovalev brings up an excellent point about how different players approach FIFA 23. The fact that the game's leaderboards will now include a wider audience of players offers a broader scope of competition and makes it more of a challenge for players to rank at the top. While this may not have an impact on all FIFA 23 players, it's almost certain it will spark a fiercer will to compete in some players compared to previous years. While so many of the additions to FIFA 23 offer an entirely new game experience, crossplay in particular has some of the biggest potential to ramp up competition in FIFA 23.
Source: Screen Rant
