EA Sports’ FIFA series is one of the most successful gaming franchises of all time. And while it’s set to undergo a significant name change with its next release, there’s no arguing about how well FIFA 22, the latest title from the series, has done. And now players can get their hands on the game via EA Play and Xbox Game Pass.

How the opportunity works is that those wanting to play FIFA 22 who are Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Members will be able to download the game free of charge, as EA Play links into the Microsoft subscription service. It’s usually the case that EA Play will offer players a ten-hour free trial of the latest FIFA title, but this has now been replaced by the full game after all of Europe’s top domestic seasons came to an end.

It’s not just FIFA 22 that EA has made available for download via EA Play. The likes of Madden 22, NHL 22 and F1 2021 are also included, so fans of EA Sports releases have plenty of titles at their fingertips and are available to play at no extra cost. That is unless they decide to make in-game purchases, which is one of the reasons why games such as FIFA 22 have been so successful for what is one of the world’s leading game producers.

In-game purchases in the FIFA series come via the world-renowned Ultimate Team game mode, which is the most popular way to play. However, while betting on football has always been the norm, what happens in Ultimate Team, in terms of players buying packs which contain footballers and consumables, has been likened to gambling. And this has led to complaints from many, with bans imposed within some jurisdictions.

At the time of writing, FIFA 23 is set to be the last title from EA Sports to bear the FIFA name. This is because there had been a disagreement over the license fee payable to FIFA by the global gaming giant, and now the pair have decided to go their separate ways when their current agreement ends. So, next year’s release will go by the name of EA Sports FC, which represents a new start for the series.

But, until then, players can play FIFA 22 on Xbox Ultimate Game Pass while they wait for FIFA 23 to release later in the year, a title that will more than likely include the World Cup, which is due to take place in Qatar at the backend of 2022.

It remains to be seen if EA Sports will implement any significant changes in the next release. Or if they will wait for the beginning of the EA Sports FC series to effectively enact a refresh, something which long-time players would welcome with open arms after issues such as inconsistent gameplay continue to be spoken about by players.