Japan’s J-League set to be removed in FIFA 23 according to leak

Nathan Warby
Mbappe with FIFA 23 and J-League logo

According to an insider, FIFA 23 will be the last game in the series to feature the Japanese J-League, as EA Sports are reportedly ending their agreement to use the license in their games.

FIFA 23 is expected to release later this year, and FUT fans can’t wait to see what new features EA has in store for the last game under the FIFA moniker.

One of the most exciting parts of any new FIFA release is seeing which new teams, players, stadia, and kits will be included, as the publisher acquires more and more licenses.

However, according to a new leak, Japan’s J-League may actually be leaving the roster in FIFA 23, much to the surprise of players.

FIFA 23 logo in front of PSG stadium

Fifawitcher, a reliable FIFA insider, tweeted on June 1 claiming that the J-League would not feature in FIFA 23, marking the first time the league has been absent from the series since FIFA 16.

“After six years, J-League and EA SPORTS end the partnership. FIFA 23 will not feature the league,” they said. Attached was a picture containing all of the league’s top partners, with EA Sports nowhere to be seen.

This means that Career Mode players will not able to join teams or sign stars from the Japanese top flight, where big names like Andreas Iniesta currently play. The players and kits will also be removed from Ultimate Team.

Although, the leaker did reassure fans that the J-League, otherwise known as the Meiji Yasuda J1 League, could be “back in the future.”

On the list of partners, Konami can be seen on the top row, causing some players to speculate that the J-League could be making the jump to eFootball, formerly known as PES. However, there is still no official confirmation as to whether or not this is the case.

While it’s disappointing to see a popular league disappear from FIFA 23, EA will no doubt try and make up for the loss with other new licenses and features.


For more on FIFA 23, check out everything we know about World Cup content in the new game.

Image credits: EA Sports / J-League

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About The Author

Nathan is a Senior Writer for CharlieIntel and Dexerto, primarily covering FIFA and Call of Duty, as well as general gaming news and guides. After leaving university with a degree in Sports Studies and a master's degree in Magazine Journalism, he took on a role as a local news reporter before moving into games media. You can contact Nathan by email at [email protected].