Instead of shutting down online services as it has for other titles, EA revived FIFA 23 with a surprise update that gives players a reason to log back in and relive some memories.
EA FC 25 is in the middle of an exciting run of new content. The Winter Wild Card promo added multiple teams chock-full of new cards to shake up the current meta. As for what’s next, the long-awaited Team of the Year cards will be released soon.
But once a new title comes out, support is typically cut off. EA has a history of removing online servers for long-forgotten games. For example, Battlefield 3, 4, and Hardline had their PS3 and Xbox 360 versions taken offline in November.
Meanwhile, FIFA 22 was shut down, and FIFA 23 was removed from EA Play. Yet despite the EA Play removal, EA mysteriously added an update to FIFA 23, making players question why.
EA FC content creator Riggers reported that EA has released a new objective in FIFA 23 that challenges players to list one card to get 30,000 XP to complete the season.
EA have dropped this Objective on Fifa 23, list 1 card and you get 30k XP to complete the Season 😂
There is still 30k Items listed on the Market for that game atm pic.twitter.com/PckyFbHoRO
Since 30,000 items are listed on the transfer market, Riggers speculated that there are still enough players to warrant the update. And since the objective calls for one player to be listed on the market, this is a clear indication that EA also wants to keep the game alive for as long as possible.
It remains to be seen why FIFA 23, particularly, has kept players around, but EA has noticed and rewarded them for remaining active.
One player argued that it was “One of the best FIFAs of recent years in all honesty,” possibly explaining the consistent interest.
“It’s a much better game,” a second user added.
Most shelved EA games never see the light of day again, but FIFA 23 countes as a rare exception.
Ryan Lemay is a Games Writer on Dexerto’s US team, specializing in Call of Duty, including the CDL, Warzone, Modern Warfare and Black Ops. He also covers EA SPORTS FC, NBA 2K, Madden, and EA College Football. Ryan also has bylines at Dotesports, Destructoid, and Esports Illustrated. You can contact him here: ryan.lemay@dexerto.com
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