Fix FIFA 23 Stuck on Initializing Screen on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Consoles

FIFA 23, the best football simulation video game, was released in September 2022 across all major platforms. If you’re a football lover, you might have already jumped onto the bandwagon and tasted the latest iteration of the FIFA video game. FIFA 23 is available across major platforms, including PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox consoles. The excitement for FIFA 23 has become frustrating for some users as the game does not get past the initializing screen. If the FIFA 23 is stuck on the initializing screen on your PC, PS4, PS5, or Xbox console, don’t worry; we are here to help you out. In this article, we’ll be looking at various methods to fix this issue.

There could be many reasons why the FIFA 23 is stuck on the initializing screen such as software bugs, system glitches, and low memory. You may be running an older version of the game, which could be triggering the loading issue. Sometimes the console or the PC itself is the source of the problem. Though the developers have released several updates since the game’s launch, not all have been much helpful. Despite updating the game, players continue to face issues while loading FIFA 23.

Fix: FIFA 23 Stuck on Initializing Screen on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Consoles

How to Fix FIFA 23 Stuck on Initializing Screen on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Consoles

Below we have mentioned several troubleshooting methods to fix the FIFA 23 loading issue on your device. You do not need to try all the solutions. Simply keep testing them until the problem is not fixed. Without further ado, let’s jump to the first solution.

OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
Memory: 8GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 570
Processor: Intel Core i5 6600k or AMD Ryzen 5 1600
DirectX: Version 12
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Storage: 100GB of free storage

Recommended Requirements:

OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
Memory: 12GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 or AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT
Processor: Intel Core i7 6700 or AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
DirectX: Version 12
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Storage: 100GB of free storage

2. Check EA Servers

EA Down

FIFA 23 uses EA servers to store and process data. If there is a heavy load on the servers, there’s a good chance that the game won’t load or it may run into a variety of problems. The servers undergo maintenance from time to time, which could also result in the game not getting past the initializing screen.

To check the current status of FIFA 23 servers, follow these steps:

Click the Games menu at the top of the page.
Type FIFA 23 and select FIFA 23 from the dropdown. It will open up the game’s main page.
Check the Server Status icon at the top-right of the page. A green icon means that there’s no server issue.
Click the Server Status icon and check the status of your device.

If FIFA 23 servers have issues, you can’t do much, unfortunately. However, there’s a great chance that the developers are already working on fixing it. You can try launching the game after 1-2 hours and check if the problem is fixed.

3. Check Your Internet Connection

You need to make sure that there’s no issue with the internet. FIFA 23 needs an active internet connection. Hence, an unstable or slow internet could lead the game’s launch to fail. This could be the reason why the game is not getting past the Initializing screen on your PC or console.

I would recommend switching from Wi-Fi to a wired connection. It helps in getting a stable connection. You should also reboot your router once. If nothing helps to fix internet connectivity issues, contact your ISP.

4. Reboot Your Device

The game might not be loading on your device because of a minor technical glitch or software bug. You do not have to worry too much in this case as these minor bugs can be easily fixed by rebooting the device.

Steps to reboot your PC:

Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner.
Click on the power icon and select Restart.

Alternatively, you can press Alt+ F4 and reset Restart to do the same.

Steps to reboot your PlayStation:

Press the PlayStation button on your controller to open the Control Center.
Tap on the power icon.
Select Restart PS4 / Restart PS5.

Steps to reboot your Xbox console:

Press the Xbox button on your console to open the guide.
Select Profile & system > Settings > General > Power mode & start-up.
Choose Restart now.

5. Update FIFA 23

After being launched in September 2022, FIFA 23 has received several patch updates to fix the issues reported by users. Despite that, new issues continue to surface as more users play FIFA 23. You should therefore update FIFA 23, which is more likely to fix the game stuck at the initializing screen issue.

6. Run FIFA 23 as an Administrator

Due to limited resources and permissions, FIFA 23 may fail to launch on your PC. Run the game with administrator rights and check if the problem is fixed.

Here’s how to do it:

Right-click on FIFA 23 logo and select Properties. In Windows 11, after right-clicking, select Show more options to get the Properties option.
Go to the Compatibility tab.
Click on the Run this program as an administrator box.
Click Apply and then OK.
Restart your PC.

Launch FIFA 23 and verify the problem.

7. Update GPU Driver

If you have not updated the GPU driver of your Windows PC in a while, you should do it now. Running an outdated or older version of the GPU driver can lead to issues such as screen flickering, game not responding, and more.

Here are the steps to update your Windows GPU driver:

Right-click on the Windows logo and select Device Manager.
Expand Display adapters.
Right-click on your graphics card name and select Update driver.
Click Search automatically for drivers. Your computer will now compare the current version with the latest version. If a new version is found, follow the on-screen instructions to install it.

You can manually update the graphics driver by downloading the latest version from the manufacturer’s website. Here’s the link to the download page for Nvidia drivers and AMD drivers.

8. Clear Game Cache Data

All the applications and games you install on your PC create a local cache that helps the app run quickly and smoothly. Although cache data is useful, the app or game may fail to launch if it gets corrupted. Cache data are temporary and are safe to remove as it does not contain important data. Clearing them for FIFA 23 can fix the stuck-at-initializing screen issue.

Clear cache data on Windows:

Press the Windows + R keys on the keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
Now, type %appdata% and click on OK to open up the AppData folder on the local drive.
Please search for the FIFA 23 folder and delete it. This contains all the FIFA 23 temporary cache files.
Reboot your PC and check if the problem persists.

Clear game data on Xbox:

Quit FIFA 23> Select My games & apps.
Select See all > Make sure to highlight the FIFA 23 game.
Select Manage game and add-ons > Go down to Saved data.
Choose the Delete All button.
Launch FIFA 23.

Clear game data on PlayStation:

Go to Settings and Select Application Saved Data Management.
Choose System Storage and Select Delete.
Select the FIFA 23 game and checkmark the files that you want to delete or just click Select All.
Select Delete and choose OK to confirm.
Reboot the console.

9. Disable Security Programs

If you’re still experiencing issues while launching FIFA 23, turn off all security programs on your PC. They can flag some of the game’s files that won’t load when launching the game. Some aggressive antivirus applications can also block ongoing connections with the game. You should, therefore, disable Windows Firewall and other third-party antivirus applications.

Steps to turn off Windows Firewall:

In the search box, type Windows Defender Firewall and press Enter.
Click on Turn Windows Defender Firewall on and off from the left-side menu.
Turn off Windows Defender Firewall for both Private and public network settings.
Click OK to save changes.
Launch the game and check if the issue is fixed.

10. Reset Your Console

Resetting the console can fix all sorts of software bugs and system glitches. It can help you fix the FIFA 23 loading issue.

For Xbox:

Press the Xbox button on your controller to open Guide.
Go to Profile & System and select Settings.
Choose System and select Console Info.
Select Reset

Once done, sign in to your Xbox account and install FIFA 23. Launch the game and check if the problem is gone.

For PlayStation:

Switch off your PS4 or PS5 console by pressing the power button.
Navigate to the Settings menu.
Select System.
Select System software.
Select Reset options. You’ll have three options: Clear Learning Dictionary, Restore Default Settings and Reset Your Console.
Select Reset Your Console.
Finally, select Reset to complete the process.

The resetting process may take a few minutes to complete. Once it’s done, the console will boot into the setup screen.

That’s it for this article. I hope the solutions were useful to you. How did you fix the FIFA 23 stuck on initializing screen issue on your PC or console? Let us know in the comments section below.