Will EA FC 24 be free to play?

With “The World’s Game” officially entering a new chapter, a big question surrounding EA Sports FC 24 is just how much will it deviate from the FIFA series’ proven formula, including whether it’s going to be free to play.

Beyond the Ultimate Team, Career, and Pro Clubs modes that its community has come to know and love, the FIFA series saw 29 years of annual releases, bringing virtual football to fans on several generations of platforms from the Sega Genesis to Nintendo Switch.

With free-to-play ever emerging as a prominent model in the modern world of gaming, it’s perhaps no surprise that many are wondering whether or not EA FC 24 will still be an experience locked behind a traditional paywall. Here’s what you need to know about accessing EA FC 24.

Is EA FC 24 going to be free to play?

No, EA FC 24 will not be free to play. Just like all of its spiritual predecessors, from FIFA International Soccer to FIFA 23, EA FC 24 will require players to fork over some change to be able to download the game.

EA FC 24 is set to launch on Sept. 29 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch. The standard edition of the game starts at $69.99 on all platforms except for the Switch, where it is $59.99. EA FC 24 Ultimate Edition is available for $99.99.

Perhaps the only exception to avoiding this traditional paywall is by having an EA Play Pro subscription, which will give its active members unlimited access to the EA Play Pro Edition of the game starting Sept. 22. EA Play Pro costs $14.99 per month or $99.99 per year, the latter of which is the same price as the Ultimate Edition of EA FC 24.

Related: How to get EA FC 24 early access

While no plans have been revealed just yet, it’s also a possibility that post-launch, EA FC 24 could be added to PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate via EA Play, just like with the FIFA titles in recent years.