How FIFA 22 Is Going To Change The Series

Cross-play is one of those gaming terms that always elicits mixed responses from fans. On the one hand, it might be the only way two friends can play together if one of them has an Xbox and the other has a PlayStation. On the other, there will always be those who are quick to point out compatibility issues and the advantages that certain platforms may have over others. That's why so many studios have struggled with integrating it into their titles in a way that allows gamers from all over to play together without compromising on fairness and balance. That still hasn't stopped a dedicated sub-section of the fanbase from asking for cross-play in their games though.

"FIFA" has seen its fair share of competition from games like "Pro Evolution Soccer" and recent years have seen the franchise mired in loot box controversy, but there are plenty of successful aspects to it that other sports games could learn from the series. One thing that "FIFA" has always tried to do is adapt to the needs of its fans. To that end, EA recently announced that it would be testing cross-play functionality for "EA Sports FIFA 22" in the near future. This test would allow PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Google Stadia players to play Online Seasons and Online Friendlies modes with other players from across these three platforms. This is a major step forward for the franchise — but how was this news received by the fans?

According to EA's post, the company is starting out with just the two modes in order to limit the amount of complications that might arrive from cross-play. It doesn't seem as though there are any immediate plans to add cross-play to other modes in "FIFA 22," but the studio has stated that it may end up expanding the feature in future titles.

The responses fans on Twitter have had to the news has been conflicted. Some seem excited that the feature will finally be available, arguing that cross-play is a win for everyone. Some fans have even called for other sports games like "NBA 2K" to add a similar feature. Others have been less enthusiastic. A few users felt that EA was neglecting its PC, PS4 and Xbox One players by not allowing them to be included in the test and some raised concerns that previous cross-platform experiences caused issues with internet lag and games disconnecting.

Fortunately, EA has also announced that this cross-play test will be optional, so those who don't want to participate in cross-play can simply disable it. There will be a widget in the bottom right hand corner of the screen that can be used to turn the feature on and off. Adding cross-play as a test feature seems wise, as it will allow EA to gauge how much of a market there is for it, not to mention how well it works before fully integrating it in future games.