On July 11th, 2021, Electronic Arts released the official FIFA 22 reveal trailer, showcasing new game features and highlighting what’s to come with the new version of the game. With an official release date, new gameplay footage, and a next-gen console release, get ready to see what all the talk is about.
FIFA 22, the newest release in the hyper-realistic football (or soccer) video game franchise, will release on October 1st, 2021. The new game comes packed with new and returning features, such as Career Mode, FIFA Ultimate Teams, and Pro Clubs, as well as an entirely new goalkeeping system and the new feature of FIFA Ultimate Team Heroes. The cover star for this year’s version of the game is Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappé, and alongside him, the game will feature more than 17,000 real-world football players for gamers to chose from. And perhaps most promising is the inclusion of HyperMotion gameplay technology within FIFA 22.
As EA explains on their FIFA 22 website, HyperMotion technology allows the game to include enhanced animation sequences, smoother gameplay mechanics, and a true-to-life football experience. When developing the game, EA gave Xsens suits to two full teams of professional football players and tracked their motions throughout a match of football. By mixing this new information with AI and animations, FIFA 22 brings promises of a highly realistic virtual football experience.
However, then comes the issue of accessing this new HyperMotion technology. As EA has announced, their HyperMotion gameplay within FIFA 22 will only be available on next-gen consoles, which include the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Stadia. In order to play the game with the next-gen upgrade, however, players have a big price to face up to. The Standard Edition of the game, which is available for the majority of gaming platforms, is purchasable for 59.99 USD, which is reasonable compared to other games available. But buyer beware; the Standard Edition of FIFA 22 does not come with Dual Entitlement, meaning that the Standard Edition of FIFA 22 cannot be played with a next-gen console upgrade.
Dual Entitlement is only available with the Ultimate Version of FIFA 22, which stands at a daunting 99.99 USD. The lack of Dual Entitlement also means that players who upgrade their consoles later will still have to pay nearly one hundred dollars for the Ultimate Edition of the game if they bought the Standard Edition. This comes as a surprise this year, as previously, Dual Entitlement came with all versions of the game. As it stands, this decision seems unlikely to be a positive one for fans.
As of now, FIFA 22 brings big promises and big price tags to fans of the popular sports game franchise. FIFA 22 is available for pre-order now on the PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Stadia. FIFA 22 Legacy Edition will be available on the Nintendo Switch. FIFA 22 will be released on October 1st, 2021. The Standard Edition costs 59.99 USD, while the Ultimate Version costs 99.99 USD.