Christian Atsu in FIFA 23 - What will happen to his in-game card post his demise?

Former Newcastle winger Christian Atsu is among the thousands of footballers in FIFA 23. Players worldwide have different ways of playing with the Ghanaian attacker across different game modes. That’s set to change soon due to a terrible news that came out early on February 18.

Atsu was in Turkey, playing for Hatayspor, when a massive earthquake struck the country. It caused severe destruction in the country and neighboring Syria, as thousands of unfortunate souls perished under collapsed buildings and rubble. The Ghanaian footballer was among those unfortunate souls trapped in the accident.

After officials recovered his lifeless body, his agent confirmed that the footballer was no more. While this is a tragedy, but FIFA 23 players will still have a way to celebrate his legacy in the game.

However, it could soon change based on what EA Sports typically does with cards for footballers who are no more. If history repeats itself, the said card might not be available in the game for much longer.

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EA Sports will likely remove Christian Atsu from FIFA 23 following his unfortunate demise

Christian Atsu is available in all the game modes of FIFA 23. This includes the exhibition mode, which allows players to play one-off games. The Ghanaian has a 70-rated Ultimate Team card, and players can also find him in Career mode.

EA Sports typically removes every card of a footballer when they lose their life due to age, disease, or any other issue. A big example was the removal of Diego Maradona’s card, although some claimed it was over legal disputes.

Other footballers who have met similar fates have also had their cards removed. EA Sports has been a bit random with this, as icon cards like Lev Yashin and Gerd Muller are available in FIFA 23. But that could be because they’re cards of footballers who have already retired from the game.

Footballers who have lost their lives to a tragedy have had their cards removed from the game. A similar treatment could be given to Christian Atsu, but EA Sports hasn’t officially made any decision. News of his demise appeared earlier today, so one can expect fresh developments to come later tonight or tomorrow.

If EA Sports decides to remove the cards, Ultimate Team players will also be affected. While there is unlikely compensation, the developers could release a cosmetic item in Atsu’s memory.

It’s worth noting that something similar was expected in FIFA 23 after Brighton’s Enock Mwepu was diagnosed with a rare heart condition. His card is yet to be removed and is still available in the game. Some might think the same could happen with Atsu, but there’s a difference.

Mwepu is still alive, although reports suggest he’s unlikely to play professional football again. The lack of a clear statement from the club or the footballer might be a big reason behind EA Sports’ decision. The difference between the two cases is quite clear, as the Ghanaian is confirmed to have lost his life in the disaster.