FIFA 23’s 2022 release will mark the end of the FIFA-EA Sports partnership and will see the introduction of a new soccer video game in EA Sports FC thereafter. At the very least, EA Sports FC will have all the popular game modes that have been in past FIFA games, including VOLTA, Career Mode, FUT, and Pro Clubs. With FIFA still planning to continue making the game with another publisher, the game will need to include certain new game modes and give fans a ton of content to compete against EA Sports FC and other games releasing in the near future such as UFL.
One of the best pieces of content that showed a lot of promise in FIFA games was the story-driven game mode featuring the fictional player, Alex Hunter. First appearing in FIFA 17, the Alex Hunter story was eventually short-lived, but it shows how future soccer games can improve the content they provide to fans and could be an important element to the success of future FIFA games. As it stands, FIFA’s future is still undecided regarding who will be publishing future titles; however, for continued success, the game will need to give players more content and enjoyable experiences, and a story-driven career mode may do the trick.
The Journey of Alex Hunter
FIFA 17 was never a standout FIFA game and unfortunately fell in the period of games that showed little changes and improvements, leading to poor reviews and angry fans. However, the one good thing that came out of this period was Alex Hunter and the story mode that gave fans a new and unique experience in FIFA games. Hunter is a fictional player whose journey fans were able to follow as they competed in the top leagues in Europe before being pushed down to the MLS, and worked to return to his former glory.
Titled The Journey, Alex Hunter’s story saw players need to bring him back up to the top by performing well in matches and completing certain objectives, and even gained control of Kim, Alex's sister who also played professional soccer. Unfortunately, just as the game mode was starting to grow among fans, it was canceled for future titles, leaving a gaping hole in terms of content. Now, with FIFA and EA Sports parting ways, the former has a chance to provide fans with a unique story mode experience like that of Alex Hunter, showcasing the ins and outs of a career as a professional soccer player.
The FIFA Story Mode
While Alex Hunter may not get a return in a future FIFA game, partly because his character was created by EA Sports and partly because it was never as successful as it could have been, FIFA should still release a new story mode. Including this type of game mode will be essential for FIFA as it attempts to rebuild a soccer game from the ground up as it will not only improve the amount of content in the game, but it will help them stand apart from EA Sports FC and the rest of the competition. Whether it is another Alex Hunter character or a new take on career mode, a story-driven game mode is something that fans of FIFA games have been asking for since Alex Hunter exited the scene in FIFA 20.
FIFA could shape the story mode in many ways, however, moving away from a pre-created player is probably the best move, and instead allowing fans to create their own player, similar to Player Career, would make the game mode feel much more personable. The story could include any team in the game since FIFA will have access to all the licenses, and it will also leave room for legends of the sport to make cameos. Ultimately, the story mode needs to be the perfect blend of on-the-pitch moments and off-the-pitch interactions to make it a compelling game mode.
With EA Sports FC firmly in control of the most popular game modes, including FUT, Pro Clubs, Career Mode, and VOLTA, future FIFA titles will need to provide a new set of game modes that will provide fans with tons of content and a never-before-seen experience. With a story-driven game mode, FIFA can not only provide this level of content but can include a new way to play the game with RPG elements such as skill trees and a deeper plot to help the game mode stand out. FIFA needs to come out of the gate swinging if it has any hope of competing against EA Sports FC and UFL, and with countless fans already deciding to stay faithful to the FIFA name, the game will need to meet all expectations and deliver in nearly every department.
FIFA 23 is scheduled to release on September 30, 2022, for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.