EA FC 24 release date: UK start time for EA FC 24 launch

Career Mode is back, with a new class of FC 24 wonderkids to sign, while Ultimate Team players are already competing in Squad Battles and signing new TOTW players.

Simply put: you won't be losing any of the FIFA magic.

If you're curious about the upcoming rebrand, fear not - we'll share all we know about EA FC 24 below, from the release date (of both the standard and Ultimate Edition) to the nitty gritty of the gameplay details.

EA Sports FC 24 release date

The EA Sports FC 24 release date is 29th September 2023.

Bear in mind that this is the Standard Edition. If you wanted to play the game a little earlier, you would need to have bought the Ultimate Edition.

So for Ultimate Team players, don't be surprised if some of the Division Rivals teams you go up against are quite stacked already.

EA Sports FC 24 release time

If you pre-ordered EA FC 24 digitally, it will be available from 12am BST in the UK.

For players in other regions, FC 24 will release at 12am local time.

When was the UK start time for FC 24 Ultimate Edition early access?

If you pre-ordered the Ultimate Edition of the game, you received a week of early access, allowing you to start playing when early access began at 5am BST on Friday 22nd September.

Meanwhile, the EA FC 24 Web App was released on 20th September, while the Companion App launched on 21st September, giving you a chance to build your squads ahead of release.

Can I pre-order EA Sports FC 24?

You can pre-order EA Sports FC 24 right now from the likes of GAME and Amazon.

If you'd rather go for a digital version, or the more expensive Ultimate Edition that comes with a week of early access, you need to head to the official stores of PlayStation, Xbox, EA, Steam, Epic Games and Nintendo to pre-order the game.

Who is on the EA Sports FC 24 cover?

Erling Haaland, who popped up at the reveal event in what looked like some natty pyjamas, will grace the EA Sports FC 24 cover. You can see the box art below!

Who is on the EA Sports FC 24 Ultimate Edition cover?

EA has also revealed the EA FC 24 Ultimate Edition cover with many familiar faces from the past and present of football appearing. The star-studded image features a plethora of footballing talent.

Here's all of the players from left to right:

First row: Marta, Marcus Rashford, Rudi Völler, Pelé, Zinedine Zidane, Bukayo Saka, Andrea Pirlo

Second row: Mia Hamm, Johan Cruyff, Alex Scott, Ronaldinho, Alexandra Popp, Juan Riquelme, Didier Drogba, Leicy Santos

Third row: Jude Bellingham, David Beckham, Vini Jr, Erling Haaland, Sam Kerr, Leah Williamson, Marquinhos, Youssoufa, Moukoko

Fourth row: Alexander Isak, Selma Bacha, Alexia Putellas, Virgil van Dijk, Son Heung-min, Trinity Rodman, Federico Chiesa, Enzo Fernández

Is EA Sports FC going to be free?

EA Sports FC 24 will not be a free-to-play game. This has been confirmed by the pre-order pages going live, with the product being fully priced just like FIFA used to be.

You can see the priced-up product pages at PlayStation, Xbox, EA, Steam, Epic Games and Nintendo's official stores.

What platforms can I get EA Sports FC on?

EA Sports FC is set to release on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC and even Nintendo Switch, with each of those platforms now boasting an official product page. See for yourself by clicking over to PlayStation, Xbox, EA, Steam, Epic Games and Nintendo's websites.

The Switch version is promising to be a massive upgrade over the previous FIFAs on Nintendo's hybrid console, too! We'll see if EA lives up to that promise.

Make sure to check out what the minimum and recommended specs are to play on PC before you pre-order to see if your rig is powerful enough.

Will EA Sports FC have Ultimate Team?

Yes! EA Sports FC has Ultimate Team. What's more, women's football will be added to FUT (you can have men and women on the same team), and everything you know and love from the FIFA games will be there.

New Heroes and Icons cards have been revealed, too, letting us in on a list of classic players from years gone by hoping to make an impact in the game's meta. Making it clear that returning players don't need to worry about losing their favourite features, the EA Sports blog has said: "Everything you love about our games will be part of EA Sports FC – the same great experiences, modes, leagues, tournaments, clubs and athletes will be there.

"Ultimate Team, Career Mode, Pro Clubs and VOLTA Football will all be there."

Read More on Ultimate Team:

• EA FC 24 cheapest 84, 85 and 86-rated players - boss that SBC
• Best formation in FC 24 - our favourite tactics
• Is FC 24 down? How to check EA server status
• EA FC 24 chemistry - changes explained
• Best kits in FC 24 - what to wear
• EA FC 24 starter pack - which nation to choose
• EA FC 24 starter team - a solid Ultimate Team starting squad

EA Sports FC gameplay details

Firstly, let's watch the official gameplay deep dive so we can see how it's all shaping up.

Previously, we were told during the reveal livestream: "Our unique licensing portfolio of more than 19,000+ players, 700+ teams, 100+ stadiums and 30 leagues that we've continued to invest in for decades will still be there, uniquely in EA Sports FC."

This huge roster of players, combined with the game's new Hypermotion V system, which has taken motion capture directly from hundreds of footballers on the pitch during 180 real matches, will elevate the action and make the depiction of the beautiful game more realistic than ever – ensuring that the 19,000+ players don’t just play out as copies of one another as there are "over 11,000 true-to-football animations".

Further enhancing the spectacle is the new Play Styles system, which transcends the gameplay from just being a number and stats outfit to one that centres more around how you actually play the game.

You can take signature moves from certain players and add them to your characters’ abilities, and unlock new ones such as stop-ball-tackles if you opt for a defensive Play Style. Each Play Style has two tiers, Play Styles and Play Styles+ - the former taking signature abilities into the game and the latter taking them "from special to spectacular."

Similarly to HyperMotion V, Play Styles are informed by real-world data, making EA Sports FC 24 more of a simulation than FIFA ever was in the past. There’s also AcceleRATE 2.0, which adds further granularity to the various player archetypes in how they run and control the ball.

The base Acceleration Types previously were:

• Controlled: Most players in EA SPORTS FC 24 will fall into the basic Controlled type, as they accelerate in a more balanced and controlled manner.
• Explosive: Shorter and more agile players who are quicker to start, but their acceleration rate slows down after the initial burst of acceleration.
• Lengthy: Taller and stronger players that start slow but thrive over longer distances once they get going.

Now four more are being added to the game:

• Controlled Explosive - 50% Explosive, 50% Controlled
• Mostly Explosive - 70% Explosive, 30% Controlled
• Controlled Lengthy - 50% Lengthy, 50% Controlled
• Mostly Lengthy - 70% Lengthy, 30% Controlled

Their AcceleRATE stats are based on a mix of players' acceleration, height, agility and strength - making each character and player completely unique from one another.

In terms of content, EA told us that those aforementioned 19,000 players come from "exclusive partnerships" with the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, the MLS and more. The deal with the Premier League was announced in February 2023, with Sky Sports confirming that EA Sports would continue as the lead partner and official video game licence holder of the Premier League in a six-year deal worth £488 million.

We can also expect EA Sports FC 24 to feature everything you know and love from the modern FIFA games, including Ultimate Team, Career Mode, Pro Clubs and VOLTA. You can expect the same attention to detail and the number of official licences, too. Content creation may also take more of a focus, with EA reps hinting at such a possibility over a number of interviews.

EA's Andrew Wilson told the New York Times: "It was really about how can we do more for the players, more for the fans, how can we offer them more modalities to play? How can we bring more partners into the game, how can we expand beyond the bounds of the traditional game?"

Another EA exec, David Jackson, told the BBC: "The world of football and the world of entertainment are changing, and they clash within our product. In the future our players will demand of us the ability to be more expansive in that offering."

Jackson added: "At the moment, we engage in play as a primary form of interactive experience. Soon, watching and creating content are going to be equally as important for fans.

"Under the licensing conventions that we had agreed with FIFA 10 years ago, there were some restrictions that weren't going to allow us to be able to build those experiences for players."

Check out this teaser trailer all about triangles, and the 'announcement' trailer released in July.

EA Sports FC Career Mode changes

Career Mode is back and is looking better than ever in EA Sports FC 24. Manager Career and Player Career are back once more and are more separate than before.

Two big additions to Manager Career Mode (your standard 'take control of a club' offering) are being implemented under the new Total Management System: Tactical Visions and Coaches.

Tactical Visions are essentially preset playing styles that can be customised as you see fit. There are seven in total: Standard, Wing Play, Tiki-Taka, Counter-Attack, Gengenpressing, Kick and Rush, and Park the Bus.

You can select from these Tactical Visions under Tactical Fit in the revamped scouting system so you can find the players that best fit your preferred playstyle.

Coaches, meanwhile, can be used to help aid player development. Much like in the Football Manager games, you will be able to hire and fire new coaches. It's all a little complicated and we'd be here all day trying to explain it.

It's definitely worth checking out the official EA Sports FC 24 Career Mode deep dive trailer to check out the changes made over FIFA 23 in action.

If you want everything in more detail still, head on over to the official EA website for a list of everything new in Career Mode.

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