First, as the name suggests, was the FIFA 23 early access release - allowing you to sample a time-limited version of the game several days early. On Xbox, there was the New Zealand trick, which allowed for even earlier access. If you didn’t use this, then something to remember for next year! Beyond that, though, you’ll have to pay for full access. This page explains every FIFA 23 release date, including when you can start if you have the standard version of the full game. On this page:
When is the FIFA 23 early access release? FIFA 23 early access release time and date
Ahead of the FIFA 23’s standard release date is the opportunity to play early through a number of means, with the Ultimate Edition or being an EA Play Pro member (PC only) giving you full access at the earliest possible opportunity. Additionally, those with a standard EA Play subscription - or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, of which EA Play is included - will also get a 10 hour trial starting at the same time. FIFA 23’s early access release date is Tuesday, 27th September, with the FIFA 23 early access release time going live at midnight local time on each respective store. On Origin / PC this a little sooner for those in the UK, going live at 11pm BST on Monday. The 10 hour trial also applies for new EA Play and Xbox Game Pass Ultimately subscribers - so feel free to take advantage of any discounted first month offers to get your hands on a healthy slice of the game at little cost. And yes, all your saves and progress will carry over to the full game. However, if you’re on Xbox, there is a way to play a little earlier…
FIFA 23 New Zealand release time trick explained
If you are playing on console, there is a way to play even sooner than midnight if you have Ultimate Edition or EA Play. On Xbox, you must change your console region to New Zealand and start playing early. In the UK, this is from midday (12 hours early) and in the Americas, even sooner when taking into account the time difference. This works with Ultimate Edition pre-orders on Monday, and with the EA Play / Game Pass Ultimate trial from 4pm UK (to find FIFA, search in the store, then select the relevant platform). The following tweet by FIFAUTeam explains how this works: This is seemingly also possible on PlayStation, with the steps as shown in the following video by NepentheZ on Twitter, which we haven’t been able to verify - but is seemingly working for a number of players, regardless of region. Otherwise, for PC, there no known workaround to play early - so you may have to wait until midnight local time to start playing your EA Play and Ultimate Team versions of FIFA 23.
When does FIFA 23 come out? All FIFA 23 release dates explained
There are multiple releases for FIFA 23 when you factor in various editions. Unlike last year there are just two release dates, and not four, to keep things a little simpler. In summary, the FIFA 23 release dates are as follows:
Ultimate Edition and EA Play early access: Tuesday, 27th September Standard Edition release date: Friday, 30th September
The above release dates are global and apply to all platforms, and will go live at midnight local time. The same ‘New Zealand’ trick will also work on Xbox platforms for those who have pre-ordered - and remember if you have EA Play or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, you can already get a headstart now as part of the 10 hour trial, then continue playing your save with your full purchased copy. However you’re accessing FIFA - we hope you enjoy this year’s edition!
