- FIFA 23 has encountered server connection issues causing an "unable to connect" error, frustrating players globally.
- The issue can be resolved by checking EA server status, updating game software, disabling VPN, and restarting the console or computer.
- Contacting EA support for technical assistance is advisable if the problem persists after trying basic troubleshooting steps.
Since its official release, FIFA 23 has had several problems that have frustrated players and fans worldwide. Although there are more bugs on the PC platform, several problems are common to all platforms. One of these is the error that occurs when the game’s servers cannot access local data.
If you are having trouble connecting to the EA server or getting an “unable to connect” error when playing FIFA 23, do not worry. You are not alone; every player must have run into this problem at least once.
But there is relief; for the most part, it can be quickly fixed and usually resolves itself. To learn how to fix this issue, read this guide.
There are several possible causes for the FIFA 23 “Unable To Connect” issue.
Either the EA servers are down or they are overwhelmed with several users trying to connect to them continuously, which can be the main cause of this problem. There’s also a chance that it could be a mistake on your end. You may have a weak internet connection with high latency, a bad setup, a background application, or a cache.
So, in this article, we’ll explain how to solve the problem of FIFA 21/22/23 not working or the EA server being down (unable to connect).
Fix FIFA 21/22/23 Won’t Connect to EA Servers
1. Check the EA Server Status
Server-related issues are generally the main cause of issues with FIFA games when played online. As a result, you must first check for any obvious issues with the servers.
The EA servers may occasionally be down rather than being a problem on your end. A lot of users may be using the EA servers at other times. Especially when a new game is released or when EA releases new content, such as a FIFA Ultimate Team event, the servers cannot handle such a large volume of concurrent users. The servers are only down for a short time, typically an hour, so don’t worry; this is a fairly common occurrence.
Therefore, your best course of action in this situation would be to either restart the game or repeatedly reconnect to the EA servers. Alternatively, if you’re not in a hurry, wait a few minutes for EA to fix (hopefully) their servers or for the servers to become available.
To be sure that the problem is not on your end or to find out if a server outage or maintenance is happening on a specific platform, we strongly advise checking the status of the EA game servers or going to the official EA Server Status page.
2. Check the Game’s Updates
Your games must be updated to the newest versions. This is because you won’t be able to connect to the online servers and play any games online until they have finished updating. Your games must be updated to the newest versions. This is because you won’t be able to connect to the online servers and play any games online until they have finished updating.
Your games are set by default to update themselves automatically. But sometimes, your games might not automatically update due to a system fault or error. So, we advise you to check for updates for the games you play, whether they are on PS4, Xbox One, or PC.
3. Turn off the VPN
It’s not unusual for some PC gamers to use VPNs when playing online games. You can access geo-restricted games and content with a VPN, enjoy safer online gaming, and lower ping levels, which greatly reduces lag while playing games.
Generally, using a VPN shouldn’t affect your connectivity; however, some substandard VPN services, mostly free ones, might not always perform at their best. Therefore, if you connect to this VPN service, your internet connection may stop completely. You’ll experience problems as a result, such as having difficulty connecting to EA’s online game servers.
So you can try disabling your VPN and restarting the EA game to see whether the problem persists. You can verify whether the VPN service causes the problem. If this is the case, avoid using that service and search for reliable VPN services.
4. Restart your Console or Computer
You can next try to refresh your console or PC if a server issue is not causing this error. Just turn off your computer or gaming console, then remove it from the power supply for thirty seconds. Then, turn it back on and look for the problem.
You can free up RAM by completely shutting down your computer or game console. This helps to stop those bothersome activities, especially if you regularly open and close multiple apps and have many downloads running in the background. So, by doing this, you can guarantee that your games start up properly.
5. Check for Console System Software Updates
When you turn on your console, sometimes it automatically checks for updates, downloads them if any are available, and asks you to start the installation process. If your system is not up to date, you won’t be able to play online or connect to online servers. Additionally, it’s a good idea to keep your console updated because the most recent updates might even include bug fixes for the console’s numerous technical concerns, such as network connectivity issues.
However, sometimes you might not get a reminder or notification for updates even when there are, most likely due to a system mistake. So, to manually check for system updates,
6. Try a Different Domain Name System (DNS)
Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) uses a Domain Name System, which functions as an electronic phone book, to convert human-readable internet addresses—such as help.ea.com — to computer-readable ones (a string of numbers).
If your DNS server has issues, connecting to the internet may be quite challenging. Switching to a different DNS server will help you fix your DNS if it is faulty.
If you want to switch, these are a few of the available free options:
- Google DNS
- Open DNS
EA owns neither Open DNS nor Google DNS, and we cannot modify their websites or operating systems. If you use any of these websites or DNS servers, you do so at your own risk.
Starting with these fundamental steps for all platforms, you can troubleshoot your connection once you’ve sorted out problems with your account or server status. These networking modifications are complex. Contact your Internet service provider (ISP) for assistance if you don’t feel confident making these changes.
7. Restart your Router or Move it Near the Console or Computer.
Do not be concerned if you experience “unable to connect” errors with EA servers. if your internet connection has extremely slow speeds and regularly breaks connections. Since you’re doing a full reset on your router and entirely shutting it down to clean its cache and memory, this step can boost your internet access.
Additionally, the longer your router runs, the more memory it will collect and the more it will heat up. Thus, leave it off for a short time to cool it down.
- To accomplish this, turn on your wifi router, then disconnect it from the switch after pressing the power button. Before plugging it back in and turning it back on, wait for 20 to 30 seconds.
- The internet router should also be placed nearer to your console or PC. This is because huge solid structures like walls and wireless devices like speakers spread across your home can weakly block your WiFi connection.
- As your console or computer gets closer to your router, the signal strength will increase immediately. As a result, you’ll be less likely to disconnect.
8. Get in Touch with EA for Technical Assistance
You’ve followed this guide to the letter, but you’re still getting the message “unable to connect” in FIFA 23. The last option is to report the problem to EA officially. Fortunately, getting in touch with them is fairly quick; their Contact Us page states that they will respond to your live chat within 25 minutes.
Please be aware that, as mentioned on their Contact Us page, the live chat function is only available for a limited time. To speak with the EA support staff via live chat:
- Please enter the name of your game and then click on it after going to the EA Contact Us website.
- Select the platform you’re using, the issue you’re facing, in this case, connectivity, and the topic of your problem, Technical Support, on the next page.
- After that click the Select contact option button.
- Once that’s done, you’ll have to log into your EA account.
- The next step is for you to select your help option, and we advise selecting Live Chat. Enter “unable to connect” in the EA server as the subject of your issue, and feel free to share any screenshots you may have.
- Finally, select “Request Live Chat.” A member of the EA support staff will connect with you within 25 minutes so you may further discuss your problem.
CONCLUSION
It is surely frustrating to be all pumped up to play FIFA 23 just to be stopped by the error message “unable to connect.” So, take a minute or two to follow the short instructions in this article to solve the issue.
So, we hope the instructions in this guide were helpful to you as well. Have you ever had this connectivity problem with EA games? Let us know in the comments. Please describe how you were able to fix this issue.
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