We’re all familiar with the phrase “If it’s too good to be true, then it probably is.” This applies to many things life, but it’s used quite often when referring to getting a deal — or a perceived one. Surely the phrase came to plenty of players’ minds when EA’s pre-order listing of FIFA 23 was going for the equivalent of a mere $0.06 USD on the Epic Games Store. In actuality, the extreme discount was a complete accident, but EA is willing to swallow the cost and allow the deal snipers to keep their bounty.
As Comicbook reports, the pricing error was on the Indian storefront of the Epic Games Store, where the pre-order listing of FIFA 23 on PC was incorrectly listed for under 5 Indian rupees ($0.06 USD). Full Squad Gaming took to Twitter to post a screenshot of an email from Electronic Arts and Epic Games Store with the flub being acknowledged.
Kicking up dust
The message shows EA poking fun at itself, describing the incident as it scoring “a pretty spectacular own-goal”. In addition, the message confirms the decision to let users who grabbed up copies at that price keep the game with no penalties.
In the past, we’ve seen games that released either at the wrong price or even at the wrong time. However, in those cases, publishers were quick to revoke the licenses for those copies. So this turn of events is remarkable for EA. After all, this is a company who has become known for syphoning money away from its customers at any given opportunity.
When FIFA 23 does head out onto the field on September 22, the PC version will include the next-gen version of the game, unlike some previous releases. This will include the new Hypermotion 2 animation engine, allowing for better visuals as well as new-and-improved game modes and mechanics. The PC edition of FIFA 23 will also support cross-play with consoles.
A grand finale
This upcoming release marks the last time a FIFA game comes out of EA’s field. The two companies parted ways after several years of EA exclusively holding onto the FIFA license for video games. However, EA’s “FIFA” legacy, as well as its technology, will be adapted under the “EA Sports FC” label for future releases. The first look at the future of the series will come some time in July 2023.
EA reportedly cited FIFA’s high licensing fees as the reason for ending the partnership. With that in mind, it’s almost amusingly ironic that — at least for a handful of people — this historic final release of EA’s FIFA is being put out to pasture for mere pennies.
