Xbox Game Pass Adds Big New Game Behind Paywall

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers on Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, and PC have a new game to play as of today. Regular ol' Xbox Game Pass subscribers, those subscribed to the standard tier, do not have a new game to play as of today as the game has been made available via EA Play, which is only available with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription. For an extra $5 a month, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers get EA Play access, an Xbox Live Gold subscription, and a variety of special perks. As a result of this, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can now play FIFA 23. How long, remains to be seen, but the ultra popular 2022 release is now in the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate library, which means subscribers can now also buy it outright for 20 percent cheaper as is customary with every Xbox Game Pass game. 

At this point, if you don't know the deal about FIFA then you're not interested in it, which means you're not going to be interested in this additon. One of the longest-running series in gaming, and one of the best-selling, FIFA 23 debuted on September 30, 2022, but has only now been added to EA Play. That said, the installment, in particular, is notable because it marks the end of the 29-year partnership between EA and FIFA. Going forward, EA's soccer games will be called EA Sports FC rather than FIFA. 

"EA SPORTS FIFA 23 brings The World's Game to the pitch, with HyperMotion2 Technology that delivers even more gameplay realism, both the men's and women's FIFA World Cup, the addition of women's club teams, cross-play features, and more," reads an official elevator pitch of the game."

Will FIFA 23 ever be added to standard Xbox Game Pass? No, probably not. For the most part, EA games are limited to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate because of EA Play and previous FIFA releases that were added did not come to the standard version of the subscription service. And going forwaed, there's no reason to expect this to change.