EA Sports announced that FIFA 18 will launch September 29 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC. The date aligns with EA Sports’ tradition of late September releases for its long-running soccer sim.
It’s being released on a plethora of platforms, but not all versions of the game will be the same. As previously discussed, the Switch version will be different from other current-generation console editions. On Switch, FIFA 18 won’t use the Frostbite engine, and unfortunately, it also won’t have the Journey story mode that was introduced in FIFA 17. Those omissions extend to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions.
The announcement is rather curious since at the end of May, EA claimed that the Switch would receive a title called “EA Sports FIFA,” not FIFA 18, and that it would be custom built for the Switch’s unique hardware.
EA also revealed that Legends — retired greats playable in Ultimate Team — will be replaced by Icons. Icons will be available on all platforms, whereas Legends was exclusive to Xbox One. Retired Brazilian star Ronaldo Nazário was announced as the first Icon.
Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo will grace the cover of FIFA 18. “It is a real pleasure to be on the cover of FIFA 18,” Ronaldo said. “It’s a great feeling and I am grateful to have been chosen.”
Those who pre-order the standard edition will receive a Cristiano Ronaldo loan, eight special-edition Ultimate Team kits, and $15 worth of Ultimate Team packs. Two premium editions will be available for PS4, Xbox One, and PC via Origin. The Christiano Ronaldo edition costs $80, and comes with $60 worth of Ultimate Team packs, three days of early access, and the standard-edition goodies. The Icon edition, retailing for $100, features Ronaldo Nazário on the cover, and comes with $120 worth of Ultimate Team packs and Team of the Week loan player packs, along with everything in the Ronaldo edition.
EA and Origin Access subscribers can also try out the game early, for up to 10 hours, starting on September 21.
EA promised more FIFA 18 details will be revealed at EA Play on June 10.
