How to Fix the ‘Failed to Load’ Error in FIFA 22 Career Mode

Some FIFA 22 players report experiencing difficulty when attempting to load a Career Mode save file, encountering a ‘Failed to Load‘ error every time they try. This issue is confirmed to affect both PC and console versions of FIFA 22, specifically Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.

Failed to Load – Error in FIFA 22 on PC and Consoles

Upon investigating this issue, we have identified several potential causes that could be triggering this problem. Below is a list of scenarios where the ‘Failed to Load’ error might occur when trying to access a FIFA 22 Career Mode save:

  • Outdated game version – If you’re not running the latest version of FIFA 22, updating the game may resolve this issue.
  • Save file glitch – A known bug, primarily affecting consoles, renders the save file inaccessible. Some users have reported that creating a new save file manually can fix this issue.
  • Incompatible Windows username characters – If your Windows username contains Cyrillic or other non-Latin characters, this may cause the save game path to become unreadable, resulting in an error. Changing your Windows username to one with only Latin characters should resolve this.
  • Glitched DLC Data Pack 1 – A recent DLC Data Pack 1 update by EA is causing issues for some players. If affected, you may resolve the issue by deleting the DLC Update 1 Data pack from your Profile.

Having outlined the potential causes for this error, let us explore a series of solutions that other FIFA 22 players have successfully used to either recover their save file or prevent the error from recurring.

1. Update FIFA 22 to the latest version

EA Sports has released an update intended to address this bug. If you only play offline and have been preventing your PC or console from updating, allowing the game to update could solve your problem.

At the time of writing this, the EA support team has confirmed the release of a patch on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.

Note: Updating the game might not retroactively fix an already corrupted save game. However, if the Career Mode fails to load due to a bug EA has patched, the update should make it work.

Update FIFA 22 on Origin (PC)

Then, navigate to the Library tab, right-click on FIFA 22, and select Check for Updates from the context menu.

Update FIFA 22 on Origin

Update FIFA 22 on Steam (PC)

  1. Launch Steam on your PC and sign in to your account where FIFA 22 is owned.
  2. Go to the library tab, right-click on FIFA 22, and select Properties.
    Accessing Properties of FIFA 22
  3. In the Properties window, go to the Updates tab.
  4. Under Automatic updates, choose ‘Always keep this game updated’.
    Ensuring FIFA 22 is updated on Steam

    Note: If an update is pending, it will start installing once you save the changes.

  5. Try launching the game again to check if the save game issue is resolved.

Update FIFA 22 on Xbox One

  1. On the Xbox One home screen, go to the My Games & Apps section.
    My Games & Apps
  2. Select the Updates tab from the menu on the left.
  3. In the Updates tab, install any available updates for FIFA 22.
    Update FIFA 22 on Xbox One
  4. Launch FIFA 22 again to see if the save issue has been resolved.

Update FIFA 22 on Xbox Series S / X

  1. Select FIFA 22 from the home screen, then press the Options button on your controller.
  2. Choose Manage game and add-ons.
    Manage Game and Add-ons
  3. In the dedicated menu for FIFA 22, select the Updates Menu on the right-hand side.
  4. Select Update all, confirm at the prompt, and wait for the update to complete.
  5. Try launching the game again to check if the issue with the save game is resolved.

Update FIFA 22 on PlayStation 4

  1. Using your controller, navigate to the Library menu from the PS4 home screen.
    Library Menu
  2. In the Library, select FIFA 22 and then choose Check for Updates from the left menu.
    Check for Updates
  3. Launch FIFA 22 after the update and see if the save issue is fixed.

Update FIFA 22 on PlayStation 5

  1. Turn on your PS5 and navigate to the Home screen.
  2. From the home menu, select Games from the top left section.
    Games Tab on PS5
  3. Find and select FIFA 22 from your games library.
  4. Press the Options button on your controller.
    Options Button
  5. Choose Check for Updates and wait for the process to complete.
  6. Once updated, launch FIFA 22 to see if the save issue has been remedied.

2. Create a New Save File Manually

A reliable solution to bring a save file that refuses to load back to life is by manually creating a new save file.

Numerous players have stated that after starting a completely new career and creating a fresh save, their original save affected by the ‘Failed to Load‘ error became accessible again.

To apply this fix, access the manual save interface by pressing square on PlayStation, X on Xbox, or by clicking the Save hyperlink on PC.

Resurrecting the Old Save

This method can help circumvent problems with the autosave function in your Career Mode.

3. Change Windows Username (PC Only)

Using non-Latin characters in your username can cause the game to be unable to read certain characters in the saving path, leading to the ‘Failed to Load’ error.

  1. Press Windows key + I to open the Settings menu on your PC.
  2. Use the left sidebar to navigate to the Accounts tab within Settings.
  3. In the main section, click on the Your info option.
    Your Info Menu
  4. In the following screen, scroll down to Related settings and click on Manage my Microsoft account.
  5. If you’re using a Microsoft account, you will be redirected to Microsoft’s website. There, click on your name to enter the Your info section.
    Name on Microsoft’s Page
  6. Next, click on the Edit name link and replace any non-Latin characters before saving the changes.
  7. Restart your PC for the changes to take effect, then try running FIFA 22 to check if the issue is resolved.

If the problem persists, the final method below may offer a solution.

4. Delete DLC Data Pack 1

If none of the prior fixes have worked, consider deleting the problematic DLC Update 1 data pack. Although quite a few users claimed this to be effective, it comes with the harsh consequence of losing all career-related data. Fortunately, your Ultimate Team data should remain untouched.

After deleting the DLC Update 1 data pack, you will need to create a new file. While you will lose your Career Mode save files, your Ultimate Team data should be intact.

  1. In FIFA 22’s main menu, navigate to Customize and select Profile.
  2. Choose Delete and select the DLC Update 1 Data pack before confirming your action.
  3. Relaunch FIFA 22 and try loading your save files to see if the issue has been resolved.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kamil Anwar


Kamil is a certified MCITP, CCNA (W), CCNA (S) and a former British Computer Society Member with over 9 years of experience Configuring, Deploying and Managing Switches, Firewalls and Domain Controllers also an old-school still active on FreeNode.