FIFA 23: Elite Player Ratings, Release Date and New Star Face Scans

One of the biggest talking points around any annual sports video game is the launch ratings of the top players, and FIFA 23 from EA Sports isn't an exception.

The release marks a bit of a passing-of-the-torch moment in many ways. It is the final entry to feature the FIFA branding, as the games will be called "EA Sports FC" moving forward.

It's also the first time in a long time that Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo don't dominate the very top of the ratings. That honor largely belongs to cover star Kylian Mbappé, for instance, and a handful of others.

These are the top-rated footballers in the game at launch:

• Karim Benzema – 91

• Robert Lewandowski – 91

• Kylian Mbappé – 91

• Kevin De Bruyne – 91

• Lionel Messi – 91

• Mohamed Salah – 90

• Virgil van Dijk – 90

• Cristiano Ronaldo – 90

• Thibaut Courtois – 90

• Manuel Neuer – 90

The full ratings list available, including creative wrinkles like best dribblers lists, are on the game's website.

Beyond ratings, one of the first things players look for is graphical accuracy. That's something that has only continued to improve as the series further leans into the power of next-generation consoles.

This year, EA Sports has planned some updated face scans for notable players around the globe. But the game also finally debuts a women's club football mode with teams from England's Women’s Super League and France's Division 1 Féminine.

Naturally, these face scans sit front and center in notability when revealed across various sources of pre-release material.

Also notable in this area is the career mode's club-based mode letting players take direct control of real-life managers, so some of those managers get realistic face scans, as seen in gameplay videos and otherwise.

That career mode includes one of the most notable new features in playable highlights. The game simulates a match and uses back-end technology to identify where the biggest match-deciding moments unfold, be it an offensive or defensive play, then gives players the options to hop in and take part in the outcome.

Speaking of game modes, FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) also gets some major work in FIFA 23. FUT Moments is not unlike playable highlights in career mode. It offers quick-hitting gameplay experiences for players to choose and earn rewards.

More notable than outright modes with FUT are decisions that will impact every level of the game each season. EA Sports has lifted some of the restrictions on which stars can form chemistry and also assigned them multiple secondary positions. Some of the team-building options players could only dream about in the past will now be possible.

As always, none of the ratings, graphical horsepower or additions to the huge number of game modes mean much if the gameplay isn't superb.

Luckily for all involved, the series stands atop most other sports titles because the gameplay foundation is already so strong. That leaves FIFA 23 to build out the experience in interesting ways.

One of those is the implementation of a power shot. It requires more spacing and risk, but it's a gamble that could pay off in some jaw-dropping moments.

The game promises more realism via both extensive motion capture work and upgrades to the physics system, including better emphasis on individual limbs' impact on ball physics, thanks to the extra power of the consoles.

A notable complaint for sports video games in general is addressed too, per the game's official website: "Tactical enhancements mean AI opponents better react and respond tactically to the on-pitch situation, including factors like score, match time, and available players on the bench to change and update formations and playing style mid-game."

Keep in mind all of the graphical prowess and gameplay additions will also unfold on the pitch of the women's game mode, too, helping it debut with a big head start.

While the ratings command much of the discourse before the September 27 release date, it's clear through FIFA's graphical work and additions to modes and gameplay that the series will try to one-up itself one last time before the big name change.