When does FC 24 come out? EA Sports’ annual soccer sim consistently sits atop best-seller lists for both Xbox and PlayStation, however the FIFA brand that has graced our consoles for nearly 30 years is being ditched, and the new EA FC era is beginning. That means that if you’re wondering when the FIFA 24 release date is going to be, you’re still in the right place, but you’ll have to start getting used to saying the FC 24 release date instead!
FC 24 will be very familiar to those that have enjoyed the FIFA series, but there are some big changes arriving. From stars of the women’s game being added to FC 24 Ultimate Team, to the new FC 24 PlayStyles system that adds a new dimension to player stats, it’s certainly starting this new era with a bang. Who knows, this might even be one of the best soccer games of all time. Stranger things have happened, after all, and EA Sports knows a thing or two about bringing the beautiful game to your consoles. Here are all the official details you need.
FC 24 release date
The confirmed EA FC 24 release date is Friday, September 29, 2023, but players with early access will be able to jump in a whole week earlier on Friday, September 22. These dates were first leaked by Billbil-Kun, but have now been officially announced by EA Sports.
Despite the rebrand, this game is going to follow the same release schedule as EA Sports’ other games. It’s releasing at almost exactly the same time as FIFA 23 did last year, and within a week of the several games before that.
EA FC 24 is coming to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC at launch.
As mentioned, FC 24 early access is also available to players. To get it, you’ll need to lock in your FC 24 pre-order for the Ultimate Edition of the game.
You’ll also be able to start crafting your Ultimate Team squad even before the early access launch, with the FC 24 Web App release date arriving even sooner. The Web App, and the mobile companion app, will let you start trading on the transfer market, complete Squad Building Challenges, and play around with the new FC 24 Evolutions mechanic before you’re actually able to take to the pitch.
FC 24 gameplay
From trailers, developer deep dives, and leaks, plenty of information and footage of FC 24 gameplay is out in the wild ahead of launch.
HypermotionV, which will be available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC but not last-gen consoles or Switch, drives the “biggest leap forward in gameplay authenticity and realism to date” for the series. They translate the rhythm, fluidity, and flow of football to FC 24 using volumetric data from more than 180 matches from the top leagues and competitions. As such, the movement comes from teams like Real Madrid, PSG, and Manchester City according to EA.
On top of that, AI Mimic is a brand new feature that uses volumetric data and advanced artificial intelligence to recreate unique body movements and signature moves from players – creating a more realistic experience. Accelerate 2.0 also helps to achieve this with improved acceleration types and four new additions: Controlled Explosive, Mostly Explosive, Controlled Lengthy, and Mostly Lengthy. The three returning types are also in FC 24, but the new FC 24 Lengthy players are bound to cause a stir as they did in last year’s game.
Gameplay will evolve further with PlayStyles, a new system that enhances the old, tired Traits system. PlayStyles reflect the “signature abilities” of players to provide boosts to certain attributes or to unlock certain bespoke animations, passes, or skill moves. Some of the game’s best players are also blessed with one PlayStyle+ attribute – this is a juiced-up version of a PlayStyle that makes the benefits of it even greater. However, these are hard to come by, with only a handful of top players being able to have them.
Below you can watch the first official gameplay trailer, which stars the likes of Erling Haaland, Vinicius Jr., and new Icon Mia Hamm. This shows off plenty of new animations – courtesy of Hypermotion V – and several new FC 24 skill moves too.
FC 24 new features and content
As well as many of the new gameplay improvements mentioned above, there are plenty of other new features hitting FC 24 across all of its core modes.
EA Sports has managed to secure the rights to use the likeness of just as many real players, clubs, and leagues as it did in FIFA 23, so there will be no compromise on authenticity. In fact, there’ll be even more, as the FC 24 leagues lineup adds five of the biggest women’s leagues, as well as select other clubs from the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
Speaking of the women’s game, for the first time ever, female players are going to be added to Ultimate Team, so you can create a dream team of superstars from both the men’s and women’s game. This includes women’s FC 24 Icons and Heroes. The likes of Mia Hamm, Sonia Bompastor, and more will be coming to FC 24 to acknowledge their remarkable careers. Icons in general will be more important than ever in FC 24, thanks to an exciting new Chemistry change.
Sticking with FC 24 Ultimate Team, a new mechanic called FC 24 Evolutions is going to allow you to improve the rating, stats, PlayStyles, and even the card design of players in your squad. “Choose players that fit the Evolutions criteria and complete a set of objectives” to improve them, EA Sports says on FC 24’s official site. There’s also a new look to Ultimate Team cards this year, as you can see at 3:40 in the Ultimate Team deep dive below, as well as a number of FC 24 Ultimate Team gameplay changes.
Shifting away from Ultimate Team, there are plenty of changes and new features coming to FC 24 Career Mode – both for Manager Career and Player Career.
Managers will now be able to take inspiration from the likes of Mourinho and Klopp, with Tactical Visions allowing you to apply managerial philosophies like the Gegenpress to your team. Sure, signing one of the FC 24 Wonderkids is great, but signing one that fits your team’s philosophy will prove to be even better. Coaches can also be recruited to help your players stay sharp, and reach their full potential.
Player-side, you can now hire FC 24 player agents that will help you reach your dream club through set milestones. Oh, and you can win the Ballon d’Or now, if you’ve got the skills to pay the bills.
In Pro Clubs land (or just FC 24 Clubs as it’s now known) the really big new feature is that FC 24 crossplay will be enabled for the mode. Yes, Clubs players, your wait is over. This new crossplay support also applies to Volta and Co-op Friendlies.
And last but not least, with a new name also comes a new logo. Check out the branding for EA FC below.
Is FC 24 worth getting?
If you’ve played recent FIFA games and found yourself enjoying them, then you absolutely should pick up EA FC 24. Despite the name change, all of the modes you know and love from the FIFA days remain, and the gameplay is simply being innovated on and improved, rather than replaced with something completely new.
If you’ve never played one of EA Sports’ soccer games, then the start of the EA FC era is a great time to jump in. With so many women’s teams added to the game, and with those teams being integrated into the main game mode Ultimate Team, the game has never been more inclusive. Lots of the complaints players had about the previous game, FIFA 23, have also been addressed according to pre-release marketing and developer comments. While we see for sure if those improvements have worked when the FC 24 release date arrives, it looks like EA Sports is taking the series down the right path.
If you’re still unsure about forking out the $70 for the game at launch, those with an EA Play or Xbox Game Pass subscription will be eligible for a free, ten-hour trial of the game. We recommend making the most of that first before committing to buying the game if you’re on the fence.
That’s everything you need to know on the EA FC 24 release date (or the FIFA 24 release date, if you still haven’t kicked the habit) and everything else we’ve heard about the game so far. For even more on sports games to play, check out our guides on the best Xbox soccer games, the best PS5 soccer games, and best Switch soccer games you can play right now while you wait. See you pitch-side.