FIFA 23's Free World Cup DLC Launches Next Week, But Switch Players Are Left Out

FIFA 23 is getting free World Cup-themed content to celebrate the upcoming men's tournament in Qatar, and now EA Sports has detailed what to expect. The free World Cup update arrives in FIFA Mobile on November 8 followed by a release for Xbox and PlayStation consoles and PC on November 9. Nintendo Switch players, however, are getting nothing. The Switch version of FIFA 23 is a "legacy edition" that has the same gameplay features and modes from FIFA 22.

The World Cup update lets players compete in matches as any of the 32 nations that qualified for the tournament. Players can also re-write history and change groups and substitute teams. There is an Online Tournament mode where players can compete against other humans in the World Cup format.

Then beginning November 21, EA is releasing a "live experience" called FIFA World Cup Live. This mode will be updated during the Group and Knockout stages of the real World Cup, and the teams will have updated rosters for each game based on real-world lineups. This runs until December 18, the day of the men's World Cup final.

There is also a mode called Your FIFA World Cup where players choose a team and select a "live starting point" from the past or present in the World Cup and then take the team from there. Additionally, EA is releasing new FIFA Ultimate Team campaigns between November 11-December 23. Players can also expect to see authentic team kits, stadium designs, match balls, and specific commentary themed around the World Cup.

The Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand takes place July-August 2023, and EA said fans can expect more details on a future update themed around this in the time ahead.

As for FIFA Mobile, the World Cup update will let players earn World Cup-themed rewards for their Ultimate Team, in addition to other updates.

The first match of the 2022 Men's World Cup in Qatar will be held on November 20 with a matchup between Qatar and Ecuador.