Two icons removed – These soccer stars have been demoted to heroes

EA is currently bringing new information about the new FIFA 23 every day. This time new heroes were presented – but two of the stars shown were previously icons.

VANCOUVER, CANADA – The release of FIFA 23 is not long now and EA is providing new information almost daily in preparation. In the “greatest FIFA ever“, as the Vancouver developer calls it, two players who were still icons in FIFA 22 are demoted to FUT Hero cards. But a leak already reveals which football stars could take their place. We show which icons will be removed from FIFA 23.

FIFA 23: Nakata and Okocha Become Hero Cards – Soccer Stars Lose Icon Status

What happened? EA is currently presenting the FUT Hero cards from the cooperation between FIFA 23 and Marvel. Two players were shown who were still icons in FIFA 22. Previously, 3 new icons and 5 hero cards were leaked in FIFA 23 and now the leak is condensed by the official information from @EASPORTSFIFA, EA’s Twitter channel. Here Hidetoshi Nakata and Jay-Jay Okocha were shown in superhero garb. Stealth agents 78 and double take are the names they were given. In addition, the hero cards of Capdevila, Smolarek, Al-Owairan and none other than Rudi Völler were presented.

Before icons: Although the loving illustrations and creative names are a great thing, Nakata and Okocha were still icons in FIFA 22. Now that they have been shown as heroes, it is confirmed that the two footballers will not get an icon card in FIFA 23. But that will probably annoy the least die-hard FIFA fans.

They were so good before: Even though Nakata and Okocha had icon status, they were rather unpopular with the fans. Okocha was particularly impressive in the early stages of FIFA 22 with a high skill rating – but quickly became obsolete due to better icons. Nakata could hardly stand out among the other icons. So maybe it’s not such a bad thing that these two are now becoming hero cards. This way they can take advantage of the new chemistry system in FIFA 23 and make a huge difference in the right teams.

FIFA 23: Icons deleted – These could be the successors

These icons could take their place: With the leaks from the FIFA 23 beta, it is already known which new icons will come into play. Of course, the information is not official, but EA has already confirmed some of the previously leaked cards. If you still want to get a code for the FIFA 23 beta, you should check out the dedicated article. These three icons were leaked:

• Thomas Müller
• Xabi Alonso
• Jairzinho

In FIFA 23, the icons will by no means become less numerous. Until the release, other new icon cards could also be shown through leaks or official information. Keep your eyes and ears peeled, the second closed beta of FIFA 23 is scheduled to take place on August 24th and could bring a new flood of information.