FIFA 18 World Cup video game: When is it released, how to download for free & Ultimate Team details revealed

The world's biggest football game has received huge update which is available on Xbox One, Playstation 4, Switch and PC ahead of June's kick-off

EA Sports' FIFA 18 World Cup mode was released on May 29 and is now available for free to those who own this season's title.

This summer's World Cup in promises to be one of the biggest and best tournaments yet with some very tasty looking games scheduled for June and July.

To tie in with the tournament, EA Sports revealed in April that it would be releasing a new expansion for FIFA 18 rather than a standalone FIFA World Cup 2018 game.

Previously, EA Sports has released separate games for the summer competitions, including the qualifiers - beginning with World Cup 98, which followed on from the groundbreaking FIFA: Road to World Cup 98.

When was the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia download released?

The 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia download expansion was released on Tuesday May 29 and lets players pick any of the 32 qualified nations to attempt to win the tournament using players who will be involved in Russia this summer.

The update arrives following the Team of the Season promotion in FIFA Ultimate Team, where special upgraded squads are being released for all the major leagues as well as the 50 best players from the rest of the world.

This began on April 27 and runs for five weeks, starting with the Community Team of the Season, then the Premier League squad and also includes La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1.

Now FIFA 18 gamers are able to start playing all the new World Cup modes at no extra cost, both offline and online, as well as within FIFA Ultimate Team and in the normal, standard modes.

"The 2018 FIFA World Cup update will deliver a complete and official tournament experience through official elements including authentic teams, stadiums, kits, badges, official match ball and the official winner’s trophy," EA confirmed.

What features does the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia download have?

FIFA 18 game owners are able play Online Friendlies and Online Tournament modes, getting hyped for the World Cup to officially kick off on June 14 or playing out big matches with friends.

Gamers can also use Custom Tournament mode to select any international side to compete in their own World Cup, including teams such as , and the United States national team.

The immensely popular FIFA Ultimate Team contains a "revised chemistry system", FIFA World Cup Icons and dynamic player items related to the real-world Russia 2018 competition.

"FIFA World Cup Ultimate Team lets you build your dream international squad," EA Sports' statement read. "All 12 stadiums from Russia are included in the FIFA World Cup update.

"Enjoy the tournament's sights and sounds, thanks to authentic pitch environments, advertisements, dressings, national team banners, and high-resolution crowds."

FIFA Ultimate Team now has all-new World Cup ICONs, a new chemistry system based on country confederations and special upgradeable players following on from the Path to Glory items in the normal Ultimate Team game mode.

Additionally, it's been confirmed by EA Sports that "for every Standard or Premium pack you purchase in FIFA World Cup Ultimate Team, you will receive equivalent pack value in FUT 18."

There will not be a transfer market within FUT to trade players between teams, meaning players must be acquired through winning games and tournaments, Squad Building Challenges (SBCs), Daily and Weekly Objectives or by opening packs through coins or FIFA points.

How can I download the World Cup 2018 game?

This year, the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia download is available on Playstation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC. There are no plans for an expansion release on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions.

Downloading the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia expansion is very easy to acquire on Playstation 4, Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch. It comes as a patch for the existing game, which should automatically download when the game is started.

The download size of the expansion is 5.55gb for PS4, 5.66gb for Xbox One, 5.6gb for PC and 1.3gb for Switch!