Just a hunch here, but I think the drop rates are manipulated. I’ve seen the same pattern emerge where, if I have enough packs to open, I start to see the same rare cards over and over. When it’s the more common cards it’s understandable—you’re bound to get lots of duplicates, but the distribution will tend even out the more packs you open. However, I’ve noticed this does not seem to be the case with rarer cards. For example, I drew three 95 Angerer’s during one event and three 96 Isak’s during the TOTS, but got ZERO other cards of that same rarity in either event. I realize “randomness” doesn’t guarantee all players will be evenly distributed, particularly in a small sample size, so I don’t think much of getting that first super rare duplicate. But when the third pops up and I haven’t gotten a whiff of any other cards of that rarity then I really start to wonder.
And the other reason I harbor these suspicions is that I saw a post in here a couple of months back (later removed) by someone claiming to be a former EA employee who alleged that purchased packs have lower rare-card drop rates (than the packs you win through objectives) because the company seeks to exploit their pay-to-play customers. Just like a casino that will do anything to keep a “regular” gambling, EA allegedly seeks to maximize profit by manipulating drop rates on these poor souls because they know they’ll keep chasing that dopamine hit of packing that rarest of rare cards. If true, it’s downright predatory, but I can’t say I’d put anything past EA given the general low regard (bordering on contempt) they seem to hold their users in if these forums are any measure. I mean, they’ve just put out this survey asking for input as if they haven’t got MOUNTAINS of input right HERE in these discussion threads, lol! If you need to put out a survey isn’t that kind of a dead giveaway that you haven’t paid any attention to what people have been saying in the forums?! And EA are the ones who created the flipping forums, lol! It’d be laughable if it wasn’t so infuriating. 😒