The cover art for EA Sports FC 24 has received mixed reviews, with players mocking the appearance of the featured players. However, EA is assuring players that the in-game visuals will impress upon the game's release. Despite having Pele and David Beckham on the cover, there have been jokes about their potential in-game designs. The game will be powered by DICE's Frostbite engine, which is widely used in many of EA's major titles, giving players an idea of what to expect in terms of graphics.
EA Sports FC 24 is the most recent soccer game from EA Sports and marks the end of EA and FIFA's long-standing partnership. Despite the separation, the game will still include top clubs from the world's leading football leagues, such as the English Premier League and Italy's Serie A. Additionally, it has been confirmed that Erling Haaland, a highly regarded player, will be featured as the cover athlete for the standard editions of the game.
While Haaland will be the sole standout on the standard edition, FC 24's ultimate edition will showcase a star-studded lineup of both current and past players for gamers to revel in. However, some enthusiasts expressed concerns on various social media platforms about the accuracy of the players' facial representation on the cover in relation to their in-game appearances. EA, in response, reassures fans that this will not be an issue upon the game's release. In a recent interview with IGN, EA's Vice President and Executive Producer, John Shepherd, highlighted the multitude of licenses acquired for the ultimate edition as a contributing factor to the cover design.
Despite ending its partnership with FIFA, EA still holds numerous licenses with teams and leagues. According to Shepherd, arranging the cover for the ultimate edition proved challenging due to the multitude of approvals required for a cover featuring numerous players compared to a single athlete. Shepherd assures that the studio is actively working on improving player likeness and appreciates the player feedback received following the cover's debut.
The initial trailers for FC 24 showcased limited gameplay, although all footage was rendered in the Frostbite engine. Hence, it may not accurately reflect the final game upon release. However, some players might argue that Shepherd's comments suggest that the disappointing visuals on the ultimate edition's cover may only pertain to the cover itself and not directly impact the gameplay. Time will determine whether this is the case or if the cover art accurately represents the in-game graphics.
EA Sports FC 24 is scheduled to release September 29, 2023, on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: IGN
