As a fan of the FIFA video game series, you may be wondering if you can experience the thrills of the 2022 FIFA World Cup through the career mode in FIFA 22. Unfortunately, the simple answer is no – there is no World Cup mode or tournament available within FIFA 22‘s career mode.
But don’t dismay fellow football fanatic, as we have all the details around EA Sports’ decision, workarounds within FIFA 22, and what gameplay modes will feature the Qatar tournament. Let’s dive into the details around the World Cup experience in FIFA 22 versus FIFA 23.
Past FIFA games included World Cup modes
In previous iterations of the blockbuster FIFA franchise, EA Sports has leveraged the quadrennial World Cup hysteria by including special tournament modes or content. For example:
- FIFA 18 – Had official 2018 FIFA World Cup mode as free DLC
- FIFA 14 – Included 2014 World Cup Brazil mode
- FIFA 10 – Featured South Africa 2010 World Cup mode
- FIFA 06 – Contained unlicensed and customizable FIFA World Cup mode
Based on this precedent, many fans expected or hoped for something similar in FIFA 22 related to the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Unfortunately, those hopes have been dashed.
Licensing issues prevent World Cup mode in FIFA 22
So why is there no World Cup mode in FIFA 22? It primarily comes down to licensing restrictions and financial decisions by EA Sports.
To include an official, branded World Cup mode in their game, EA would need to negotiate licenses directly with FIFA for the World Cup trademarks, with the national federations for team kits/badges, and agree to certain guaranteed payments.
According to a Forbes report, EA paid FIFA an estimated $150 million for the rights to include the 2018 World Cup as a mode in FIFA 18.1 This represents significant cost for just a temporary game mode. With FIFA 22 sales already expected to decline year-over-year, it appears EA determined the millions in licensing fees were not worth the limited revenue boost.
National team rights pose another barrier
In addition to the main FIFA World Cup rights, EA Sports would have had to reach agreements with individual football federations and leagues to include the national team kits, crests, player likenesses, stadiums, etc. Many of these federations have exclusive deals with competitor Konami for their Pro Evolution Soccer series.
In fact, EA was unable to even obtain licenses for high profile national teams including Brazil and Japan for FIFA 22 and FIFA 23.2 Without key participants like Brazil, a true World Cup experience in FIFA 22 simply wasn’t feasible.
Workarounds and options in FIFA 22
While you can’t play an official, branded World Cup tournament in FIFA 22 career mode, there are some workarounds to create your own competition:
Custom international tournaments
FIFA 22 does allow players to create custom international knockout tournaments and invite national teams from around the world. While lacking World Cup-specific branding, commentary, and other touches, this allows you to simulate a large international tournament of your own.
Career mode as any national team
Interestingly, FIFA 22 career mode enables the player to assume control of any national team, not just clubs. So you could guide your favorite country through qualification matches enroute to your own virtual World Cup.
VOLTA FOOTBALL arcade mode
FIFA 22’s VOLTA FOOTBALL mode offers a more arcade-style, street football experience. While not the flagship 11 vs 11 simulation gameplay, VOLTA does include national teams from top footballing nations to pit against each other in exotic locales.
FUT Online and Pro Clubs
While not related to career mode, online modes like FIFA Ultimate Team and Pro Clubs are primed to receive special World Cup content and promos around November 2022 to celebrate the real-life tournament.
When can you play World Cup mode?
The good news is that EA Sports has confirmed the World Cup will be coming to the FIFA game series as a free update in late 2022, but for FIFA 23 not FIFA 22.
According to EA’s official pitch notes, the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 expansion will launch on November 9 for FIFA 23 across current and next-gen platforms.3
This will deliver an authentic World Cup experience to FIFA 23, including the tournament mode with all qualified nations, proper kits, badges, match balls, stadium dressings, commentary, cutscenes, and more.
So while you can’t play the 2022 World Cup in FIFA 22, you only have to wait until November to get your virtual Qatar World Cup fix in FIFA 23!
The business impact of missing World Cup in FIFA 22
From a business perspective, it‘s clear EA Sports made a calculated decision to skip the World Cup in FIFA 22. But how will that impact their revenue and reputation? Let‘s look at some key financial considerations:
Lost sales from World Cup fans
- FIFA series earned $1.62 billion in net revenue in 2021 per EA financial statements4
- Missing World Cup will depress FIFA 22 sales from football fans seeking it
- FIFA 22 forecast to sell 1-2 million fewer units than FIFA 21
- Could sacrifice $60-120 million in lost sales revenue globally
Foregone World Cup licensing revenue
- EA paid estimated $150 million to FIFA for World Cup rights in FIFA 18
- Would have forfeited similar fee to license Qatar World Cup in FIFA 22
- But this avoided cost likely outweighed by lost sales
Risk of player discontent and reputation damage
- Lack of World Cup content could frustrate and alienate FIFA loyalists
- Allows rival titles like eFootball to capitalize on World Cup excitement
- Series saw decline to 9.1 user score on Metacritic for FIFA 21 amidst player discontent5
- Missing marquee feature like World Cup could further damage brand reputation
While skipping the World Cup in FIFA 22 will save on licensing costs, EA Sports faces a calculated risk of reduced engagement, sales, and trust from its customers. The company will need to evaluate if the profits from avoiding licensing outweigh the potential downsides.
The outlook for FIFA 23 World Cup gameplay
Looking ahead, the inclusion of the World Cup tournament in FIFA 23 this November will be a welcome enhancement. Based on EA‘s official pitch notes, players can expect a truly immersive World Cup experience:
- Authentic World Cup tournament mode with all qualified national teams
- Official kits, badges, match balls, trophies, stadium dressing
- Immersive pre-match scenes, broadcast packages, menus
- Unique commentary focused on World Cup events
- Ability to customize the tournament by simulating group stage results
While the lack of World Cup content in FIFA 22 was a disappointment, football fans can find solace knowing they‘ll be able to virtually participate in the Qatar tournament in just a few months within FIFA 23.
The bottom line
In summary, no, FIFA 22 unfortunately does not include a World Cup mode or tournament across any of its gameplay components including career mode. This boils down to EA Sports electing not to invest in the costly licensing rights needed from FIFA to leverage the World Cup IP and branding in its game. While FIFA 22 offers workarounds to simulate your own tournament, only FIFA 23 will deliver the full, authentic World Cup experience through a free November update. This difficult business decision shows the intricacies of licensing IP within sports video games. But fans only need wait a bit longer to enjoy World Cup glory within FIFA 23!
