NWSL players rip FIFA 23’s ‘offensive and inauthentic’ portrayals in video game release
The NWSL was introduced in the latest FIFA video game this week for the first time in the league's history.
The National Women’s Soccer League officially made it into FIFA 23, the iconic soccer video game, Wednesday for the first time.
There’s just one glaring problem: Many of the women’s players aren’t happy with how their video game alter egos turned out.
And, especially in the case of goalie Katie Stengel, some of them were really, really bad.
I know you expect women to just be thankful and grateful that you’ve given us a little sliver of publicity but please stop wasting our time. Some of us are bald. pic.twitter.com/DK6jut5YmS
— Sydney Leroux (@sydneyleroux) March 23, 2023
Be grateful they gave you hair lol
— Katie Stengel (@ksteng12) March 22, 2023
Plenty of other big names in the league, including Sydney Leroux, Madison Hammond, Jessica McDonald and Kailen Sheridan, sounded off on how their characters were portrayed in the game on Twitter.
At least you got the headband. I went from Planet of the Apes (2019) to Set It Off 👉🏽 (2023) @sydneyleroux 🤭🤭🫣🫣 https://t.co/iWFb9qUwpo pic.twitter.com/5yTOgXom0n
— Jessica McDonald (@J_Mac1422) March 23, 2023
Bruhhh how I go from shaved had for Canada and a full bun in San Diego, this Bosley hair grown ain't no joke https://t.co/8p7G5ZgTzG pic.twitter.com/ZZOqKCyIRB
— Kailen Sheridan (@Kailen_Sheridan) March 23, 2023
They had the headband, the braid, the neck tattoo, the overly plucked brows and someone even made me CHESTYYYY!!!! Deflate my boobs a bit and put a different jersey on. I’ll keep the brows at this point. 😭🫣🫠 pic.twitter.com/GWnBBCNApd
— Sydney Leroux (@sydneyleroux) March 22, 2023
You are going to scare my children. pic.twitter.com/LkxwQg37EF
— Sydney Leroux (@sydneyleroux) March 22, 2023
Mam that is Didier Drogba. https://t.co/Vb5gN67SHw
— Sydney Leroux (@sydneyleroux) March 22, 2023
Found my long lost twin! Fraternal obviously. pic.twitter.com/TZbLDJsgy8
— Janine Beckie (@janinebeckie) March 23, 2023
The fact that the NWSL is playable in the Electronic Arts video game is huge by itself. It’s a big milestone ahead of the league’s 11th season officially kicking off this weekend.
But the very blatant and wild mistakes that game developers made when integrating the league into the game did not go unnoticed — and the NWSL Players Association isn’t having it.
“We insist on immediate action from EA to rectify the offensive and inauthentic portrayals of players of color in FIFA 23, which were released yesterday,” NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke said in a statement, via CNN. “The NWSL Players Association, alongside our agent OneTeam Partners, has a dedicated gaming team actively working with EA to resolve this matter.”
The North Carolina Courage will host Kansas City on Saturday to officially open the regular season, and the San Diego Wave will host the Chicago Red Stars that night to conclude opening day. The remaining eight teams in the league will play on Sunday.