Fans of Electronic Arts’ (EA) blockbuster football simulation game will be delighted that the release date for FIFA 22 is finally in sight.
After teasing new gameplay features such as HyperMotion technology for months on end, EA have finally unleashed FIFA 22 to those lucky enough to have pre-ordered it in Ultimate Edition.
While Paris Saint-Germain and France superstar Kylian Mbappé is on FIFA 22’s front cover for the second year in a row, EA also released the first few names of the FIFA Ultimate Team heroes appearing in the new game.
Here’s everything you need to know about FIFA 22’s release date, players and heroes, features and more.
When is FIFA 22 coming out?
EA announced in July that FIFA 22 will be released worldwide on 1 October or PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S, PC via Origin™ and Steam, Stadia, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
The game boasts over 17,000 players across more than 700 teams, 90 stadiums and 30+ leagues, FIFA 22 will allow players to take part in top competitions like the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League, Premier League, Bundesliga, LaLiga Santander, CONMEBOL Libertadores and CONMEBOL Sudamericana.
For Ultimate Edition pre-orderers, the game will be available to play on Early Access at a slightly earlier date of Monday 27 September.
But those who have pre-ordered the Standard Edition of FIFA 22 will have to wait until 1 October to play the new edition.
What are new FIFA 22 gameplay features?
The biggest feature of FIFA 22 is set to be its HyperMotion technology which sees EA’s machine learning algorithmic technology melded with advanced match capture software to create seamless and responsive gameplay, exclusively available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Stadia consoles.
To recreate the tangible feeling of football’s raw, tactical nature, EA combined the first-ever motion capture of 22 professional players playing intensely with an exclusive machine learning algorithm to create fast, fluid and intelligent gameplay to let players enjoy the beloved football video game even more.
“FIFA 22 offers millions of fans around the world a chance to engage with the sport they love in an unprecedented way,” said general manager of EA Sports FIFA, Nick Wlodyka.
“Each player experiences FIFA in their own way but on-pitch gameplay is the unifying constant, so we’re excited to offer deep innovation there.
“HyperMotion elevates that even further on next-gen consoles and Stadia and completely changes the feel of the game.”
FIFA 22 also boasts a fresh goalkeeping gameplay update, a Create a Club feature in Career mode and the much-rumoured addition of hero cards to the Fifa Ultimate Team mode.
Who are the FIFA 22 Ultimate Team heroes?
EA teased the FIFA Ultimate Team heroes line-up by releasing nine initial names in July to help build the hype around FIFA 22’s autumn release.
Similarly to the Icons with which seasoned FIFA players will be all too familiar, the FUT hero cards pay tribute to some of the world’s most famous past players and the period and league in which they were playing at the top of their game.
The FIFA 22 FUT heroes are:
– Mario Gomez – Bundesliga
– Tim Cahill – Premier League
– Diego Milito – Serie A
– Jorge Campos – Liga BBVA MX
– Fernando Morientes – LaLigo Santander
– Sami Al-Jaber – MBS Pro League
– Abedi Pele – Ligue 1 Uber Eats
– Lars Ricken – Bundesliga
– Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – Premier League
– Antonio Di Natale – Serie A
– Iván Córdoba – Serie A
– Freddie Ljungberg – Premier League
– Jürgen Kohler – Bundesliga
– Jerzy Dudek – Premier League
– Aleksandr Mostovoi – LaLiga
– Joe Cole – Premier League
– David Ginola – Ligue 1
You can view the full specifications and background for each FUT hero announced so far on EA’s website.
How do I pre-order?
Those pre-ordering the Ultimate Edition before August 11 will receive an untradeable FUT Heroes player item, four days Early Access, Dual Entitlement, FIFA points and more.
In the most controversial aspect of EA’s FIFA 22 release announcement so far, the Dual Entitlement free upgrade plan allowing users to play a game on last and next gen consoles will not be available with the Standard Edition of FIFA 22, only the Ultimate Edition.
This means that those with last gen consoles who purchase the near £60 FIFA 22 Standard Edition would be required to buy the game again at full price if they upgrade to a new, next gen console like the PS5 or Xbox Series X|S.
Will I get my 4600 FIFA points?
Fans looking to get a boost in the game with 4,600 FIFA points to spend will have to either buy them in the shop for roughly £31.99.
But those who have pre-ordered the Ultimate Edition of FIFA 22 get 4,600 points as part of its pre-order package.
To find out more, visit EA’s page on this here.
