The wait is over for football fans — early access to the highly anticipated Fifa 23 video game is here.
Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe and Chelsea FC Women star Sam Kerr are the latest and last stars to grace the cover of the popular EA Sports and Fifa series.
In May, it was announced that the partnership between the gaming developer and football's governing body, which first began in 1993, would end with Fifa 23.
However, instead of looking to the future, we'll take a closer look at everything we know about the final iteration, including its price, when it will be released and what's new.
When will 'Fifa 23' release in the UAE?
The latest release will be out on Friday at 8am on PlayStation and Xbox. It will be available on Saturday on distribution platform Steam. However, those who pre-order the game will have early access from today.
How much does the game cost?
The price of the video game depends on the version purchased and for which console.
The standard version is $59.99 on PlayStation 4, and $69.99 on PlayStation 5, while the Ultimate Edition is $99.99.
On the Xbox, the standard for the Xbox series X and S is $69.99 or $89.99 for the Ultimate Edition.
Those who prefer to play on a PC can purchase the game for $70 for the standard or $90 for the Ultimate Edition on Steam, while Stadia will also carry the standard version for $69.99.
Where can I buy 'Fifa 23' in the UAE?
Fifa 23 will be available on PlayStation, Xbox, PC and Google Stadia, where it can be downloaded digitally.
However, those looking to purchase a physical copy, stores such as Carrefour, Lulu, Jumbo, Virgin Megastore, Sharaf DG, Toys R Us, Emax, Geekay Games, Amazon.ae and Noon.com will sell the game in the UAE. Prices vary between device type and retailer.
What's new in the game?
One of the biggest changes to the game is the addition of women's football, meaning that players can play as women's club teams for the first time. Both the men and women will also feature in the game as a lead-up to the World Cup in Qatar, as well as the women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand next year.
As with past versions, there are new changes for this year's game, including the addition of HyperMotion Technology, which was first introduced in last year's Fifa 22. Called HyperMotion 2, this feature has captured even more data through motion-tracking suits, making for more realistic football movements and motions during gameplay.
While HyperMotion was used during an 11 v 11 match in Fifa 22, this time around, it was used to capture two full 90-minute games and five training drills — one for the men's game and one of the women's.
Cross-play between Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, PC and Stadia players, as well as Xbox One and PS4 players will be supported at launch.
Another fun new addition is the news that characters from the hit Emmy-winning Apple TV+ show Ted Lasso will be playable characters. This means that one of the teams that can be played is AFC Richmond. Even better? Anyone with the game can download this feature free of cost.
Ted Lasso, played by Jason Sudeikis, can also be a playable manager in Career Mode, while AFC Richmond can be swapped into the Premier League or any other league in the game. But that’s not all, AFC Richmond can be played in Kick Off, Online Friendlies and Online Seasons along with the Career Mode.
Scroll through the gallery below to see more of the World Cup 2022 stadiums in Qatar
About Takalam
Date started: early 2020
Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech and wellness
Number of staff: 4
Funding to date: Bootstrapped
Third Test
Day 3, stumps
India 443-7 (d) & 54-5 (27 ov)
Australia 151
India lead by 346 runs with 5 wickets remaining
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The biog
Favourite hobby: taking his rescue dog, Sally, for long walks.
Favourite book: anything by Stephen King, although he said the films rarely match the quality of the books
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption stands out as his favourite movie, a classic King novella
Favourite music: “I have a wide and varied music taste, so it would be unfair to pick a single song from blues to rock as a favourite"
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The biog
Name: Abeer Al Bah
Born: 1972
Husband: Emirati lawyer Salem Bin Sahoo, since 1992
Children: Soud, born 1993, lawyer; Obaid, born 1994, deceased; four other boys and one girl, three months old
Education: BA in Elementary Education, worked for five years in a Dubai school
Takreem Awards winners 2021
Corporate Leadership: Carl Bistany (Lebanon)
Cultural Excellence: Hoor Al Qasimi (UAE)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Bkerzay (Lebanon)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Raya Ani (Iraq)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Women’s Programs Association (Lebanon)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Osamah Al Thini (Libya)
Excellence in Education: World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) (Qatar)
Outstanding Arab Woman: Balghis Badri (Sudan)
Scientific and Technological Achievement: Mohamed Slim Alouini (KSA)
Young Entrepreneur: Omar Itani (Lebanon)
Lifetime Achievement: Suad Al Amiry (Palestine)
Roll of honour: Who won what in 2018/19?
West Asia Premiership: Winners – Bahrain; Runners-up – Dubai Exiles
UAE Premiership: Winners – Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners-up – Jebel Ali Dragons
Dubai Rugby Sevens: Winners – Dubai Hurricanes; Runners-up – Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Conference: Winners – Dubai Tigers; Runners-up – Al Ain Amblers
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
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Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
