For his friends on Steam, the battle was different—slow speeds were the enemy. They fixed their "lag" by: Re: FIFA 23 - Download stuck at "preparing" - EA Forums

Steam might think the game is downloaded, but a file might be corrupted.

The EA AntiCheat system is the most frequent source of issues for FIFA 23 on PC. This kernel-mode anticheat software, while effective at preventing cheating, can conflict with various system configurations and background processes.

If you claimed FIFA 23 through a bundle or bought it on Epic:

From network hiccups and launcher glitches to the infamous EA AntiCheat errors, we'll walk through every major problem PC players face. Let's get started.

If your FIFA 23 download is stuck in a loop or frozen at 0%, the most effective solution is usually to clear the EA App cache :

In rare cases, contacting EA Help with your (found in Documents\EA Desktop\Logs ) is the final step.

If you're experiencing controller issues:

The perception that FIFA 23 for PC is "broken" stems less from the game code and more from conflicts between the EA App, EA Anti-Cheat, and Windows security layers. The majority of download and installation failures can be resolved through official cache clearing, anti-cheat reinstallation, and proper folder permissions. Users should avoid any third-party "fix" executables. As of the final title update (June 2023), EA has resolved most server-side download issues, making a clean installation from a verified platform the most reliable solution.