Following the controversy around the lack of cross-play functionality for Pro Clubs in FIFA 23, EA has addressed the backlash.
The FIFA community reacted with anger following EA announcing that the popular Pro Clubs game mode won't have cross-play functionality in FIFA 23, with cross-play only being available in certain 1v1 game modes at launch.
Pro Clubs community website @TheVFL_ posted a strongly worded statement on their Twitter page in response to the news, with the hashtag #SaveProClubs trending on Twitter after being shared by players, content creators and big media personalities.
EA has now addressed the controversy, with Community Managers Kyle Riley and Sheldon Rogers, as well as Pro Clubs Producer Delaney Leatherdale, responding to the community backlash on EA's Top Bins Live show.
"I understand the mode, I understand the player's desires and wants within the mode," Said Delaney Leatherdale, Pro Clubs Producer at EA.
"Unfortunately, in Pro Clubs and a few other modes, we will not be including it in cross-play at FIFA 23's launch.
"The reason is that there’s added complexity in developing modes with multiple players playing on the same team.
"We want to make sure that we do right by the community, so we continue to explore the best technical implementation options at this time.
"When we do have more to say on this topic, you'll be able to hear from us on Top Bins and on @EAFIFADirect on Twitter."
EA previously confirmed the omission of cross-play from Pro Clubs in FIFA 23 on Tuesday with the release of the FIFA 23 Cross-Play Deep Dive pitch notes article, with the publisher citing 'technical intricacies' as a reason for the game mode's lack of cross-play.
"We want to ensure our product innovation is delivered at quality, and because of the technical intricacies of implementing cross-play, modes that pair players together such as Pro Clubs will not feature cross-play at this time," Read the statement via the FIFA 23 Cross-Play Deep Dive pitch notes article.
"We see our community's feedback, and any potential cross-play updates, changes, and adjustments will be shared on @EAFIFADirect as they become available."
Both of these statements seem to hint that Pro Clubs could be getting cross-play functionality post-launch on FIFA 23, but EA have stopped short of confirming whether this will be the case.
Pro Clubs is an online social mode in FIFA that allows you to create a Virtual Pro player to play on the pitch with friends. Your Virtual Pro will play one position on the pitch, with 2-11 players able to play at once in one team.
FIFA 23 is developed by EA Vancouver and EA Romania and will be available worldwide on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Stadia, PS4, and Xbox One on September 30. Early access for FIFA 23 Ultimate Edition begins on September 27, 2022.
