FIFA 22 cross-play test is coming in ‘near future’

FIFA 22 will see a test of cross-play functionality in the “near future” between players on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and Google’s cloud-gaming service Stadia, EA has announced. Cross-play will be limited to Online Seasons and Online Friendlies game modes, the developer says, letting you play against friends on other platforms, or climb Online Seasons Divisions against a cross-platform playerbase.

EA says it’s limiting cross-play to these two modes in an attempt to limit the chance of the feature “introducing new issues into the game.” Cross-play can be enabled or disabled from a menu available in the bottom-right corner of the game’s main menu, and there’s also the option to opt in or out of it in the Matchmaking Options menu. Indicators will appear during online matches when a player is on another platform, but otherwise EA says the test shouldn’t have “any direct impact on the gameplay of FIFA 22.”

Image: EA

The game’s cross-play support could have the biggest impact on Stadia players. With an install base much smaller than either PS5 or the Xbox Series consoles, players on Google’s cloud gaming service often have a much smaller pool of potential competitors to be matched up against. FIFA 22 launched on Stadia last September, alongside Microsoft and Sony’s platforms.

The announcement of the test for FIFA 22 follows reports that EA is planning to include cross-play support in FIFA 23 later this year.