FC 26 & Beyond: A Roadmap to Saving the Game
First of all, I’m not a professional trader or a coin seller; I’m just an average player who has been playing Ultimate Team since FIFA 14. However, there are undeniable indicators that reflect the current state of the game and the declining interest of the player base.
For instance, the drop in Black Market coin prices (which is, of course, against TOS) is a major red flag. Typically, prices only crash toward the end of the game’s cycle when the 'hype' dies down. Seeing this happen so early indicates a significant loss of passion among players.
Today, I’ll be discussing some suggestions and solutions for the major issues we face. My goal is to help 'save' FC 27, as the roadmap for FC 26 is likely already set in stone. That said, we still hold onto a glimmer of hope for radical fixes from EA during the second half of this year's cycle—specifically with the start of the TOTS (Team of the Season).
I will discuss the suggested solutions and the problems we face randomly and without a specific order.
Evolutions: A Passion Killer
Firstly, removing Evolutions because they eliminate the need for special players.
Now, you can build and evolve a player for a very small amount, making them better than any existing player in the game or any released special card. This naturally kills the passion because if you have many powerful players, over time you will get bored since you can't change them or find anyone stronger. This is supposed to happen only at the end of the game's cycle. Naturally, this destroys the prices of special cards in the market and, consequently, destroys the market itself.
Cards have always been distinguished by their unique designs based on each event, which is exactly what standard Evolutions are ruining. The company didn't stop there; they created a special "Cosmetics" section that produces even more distorted cards, causing players to lose their identity. This is especially evident with TOTY (Team of the Year) cards; when their premium, signature look is stripped away, it becomes truly disappointing.
I have discussed this extensively in this article:
The Evolution system is out of control | EA Forums - 13087382
Reforming the Store Pack System
Merging the Promo Packs and Global Limits sections, while reducing the total number of packs in the store. At least 80% of Promo Packs should be converted to Global Limits with small quantities, as it was previously. Additionally, User Limit packs should be reduced to only two or three types throughout the entire week, with their limit decreased to 1 or 2 packs per person instead of 5 or 6 per person.
Eliminate the Provisions section from the store because it rarely offers value for money. On the contrary, it contributes to destroying the market and undermining legitimate ways of earning coins, such as trading. This leads to widespread frustration since most rewards are untradeable, leaving players without coins.
As a result, the community splits into two groups: the first gives in and buys FC Points or coins through illegitimate methods, but after a while, most of them get bored and stop spending unless they are content creators doing it for their content (and a large portion of them actually changed their content this year, which is very noticeable).
The second group cannot compete with those who pay and is often forced to quit the game. Some of them even decide not to buy the game again. The most prominent example of this is in Africa and most of Asia; due to economic conditions and currency exchange rates, they can barely save up for the price of the game over the entire year, even though it is their favorite form of entertainment.
I have discussed this extensively in this article:
The Death of the Ultimate Journey: How Content Overload Ruined | EA Forums - 13126856
Untradeable Locks: Restoring Rewards Choice
Abandoning the current Rivals rewards system, which forces you into untradeable players. This halts your progress in the game and kills the passion. We must return to the old system.
Power Curve Inflation: From Content to Chaos
Reducing the Campaign Mix Player Packs/Picks and the idea of bringing back previous event cards. Instead of them being available daily as they are now, they should return monthly in very limited quantities to avoid killing the value of those older cards. Additionally, their reappearance in Store Packs should be strictly limited to very small numbers
Reducing Icons and Heros SBCs, even if it means slightly increasing the pack weight to compensate for their lower frequency. In the past, we used to eagerly wait for the moment these challenges were released to complete them; unlike now, where the SBC stays available in front of us and we just ignore it. The numbers prove this is the case.
Eliminating the idea of "+Specific Rating" SBCs (like 83+ and similar) and returning to the old pack format, which was better and more enjoyable. We know that the reason for introducing packs in this format is the expanded database (due to the addition of women's football leagues); however, flooding the game with this much content so early on kills it. We used to only see this level of content during Futties.
The idea of "+Specific Rating" packs, the excessive store packs, and the influx of "fodder" players in events—alongside numerous misleading and poor rewards—has led to massive inflation in the game's market. This is clearly reflected in SBCs.
For example, the Matthäus SBC appears to be "value for money" in terms of coin cost, but a different reality emerges when you translate those coins into the fodder required to complete it. You find the SBC requiring six 90-rated squads, six 89-rated squads, and others. It is nearly impossible to replenish these squads through weekly rewards alone.
This brings us back to the core issue: we need balance through a genuinely lower Power Curve that aligns properly with the different stages of the game throughout the year.
We should have fewer events; it’s not necessary to have a new event every week if we want to preserve the value of the cards.
We need leaks to stop permanently because they kill the excitement of new content. We also want the return of those hype-filled Loading Screens.
I have discussed this extensively in this article:
Stop Leaks It Destroys game | EA Forums - 13040208
The Death of the Ultimate Journey: How Content Overload Ruined | EA Forums - 13126856
Predictable Content: Killing the Surprise
We need a new, more exciting animation. The current animation makes it too easy to tell from the very beginning whether a player is a walkout or not. This leads to quickly skipping through packs, which kills the excitement.
Reimagining Team Chemistry
Changing the Chemistry System if it has failed, or making significant developments to it. The current situation forces us to change the card designs—which are their most distinguishing feature—into repetitive, identical looks just to achieve good chemistry. This is a very poor experience.
You can learn from the old PES chemistry system, "Team Spirit"
How it works: You simply need to play and win to achieve full chemistry. When you add a new player, your team spirit decreases, and you must play and win again to reach full chemistry once more.
I have discussed this extensively in this article:
Has the New Chemistry System Failed? | EA Forums - 13087314
Fix Ultimate Team's Rating Chaos
For years, the Ultimate Team community has engaged in the annual ritual of debating player ratings.
the conversation has shifted from minor disagreements to a fundamental problem: the rating system is chaotic, arbitrary, and lacks a clear foundation.
Currently, the numbers on a card often feel meaningless.
The system is massively chaotic and does not rely on any clear criteria, which has directly caused numerous exploits in the game. It is imperative to establish a clear, fixed standard for the rating system."
Examples:
Two Gold Cards "Mapi León" 89 Rating and "van Dijk" 90 Rating
To illustrate this absurdity, consider the comparison between Mapi León (89 OVR) and Virgil van Dijk (90 OVR). Both play in the exact same position: (CB). Yet, the data tells a conflicting story.
Mapi León Have 2294 In-Game Stats (IGS) and 470 Base Stats, whereas van Dijk sits at only 2,132 IGS and 454 Base Stats. How is it logically possible for an 89-rated card to significantly outperform a 90-rated card in raw attributes when they share the same Position?
I have discussed this extensively in this article:
Why EA Must Fix Ultimate Team's Rating Chaos | EA Forums - 13116912
Fix Ultimate Team's Play Style Chaos
The chaos of PlayStyles+ must be fixed; their overpowered nature often renders card stats completely useless. We need to create a genuine balance between PlayStyles+ and actual attributes. Furthermore, there is a clear lack of logic in how these PlayStyles+ are distributed among players.
Clubs vs Ultimate Team: The Logic Gap
When you dive into Clubs mode, you immediately find a clear, transparent framework governing how a player acquires a PlayStyle. Conversely, this foundational logic is completely abandoned in Ultimate Team. In Clubs, there are strict prerequisites; for example, to unlock the Silver 'Finesse Shot' PlayStyle, a player is required to meet specific attribute thresholds: a minimum of 80 Vision, 75 Finishing, and 80 Curve. This system creates a direct correlation between stats and abilities—a standard that is bafflingly absent in Ultimate Team.
To illustrate this disconnect, we can look at a prime example like Jairzinho. His attributes clearly exceed the logical requirements found in Clubs, boasting 89 Vision, 92 Finishing, and 81 Curve. By all metrics, he should possess the Silver Finesse Shot, yet he has been arbitrarily denied it.
In stark contrast, we have a bronze player like Matty Smith, who is inexplicably gifted with the Silver Finesse Shot despite having abysmal stats that fail to meet any reasonable criteria: 50 Vision, 58 Finishing, and 51 Curve. This comparison exposes a fundamental flaw: in Ultimate Team, a player's actual abilities often have zero correlation with their assigned PlayStyles.
I have discussed this extensively in this article:
Why EA Must Fix Ultimate Team's Play Style Chaos | EA Forums - 13123696
Restoring Balance through the Catalog System
The EA Catalog must be brought back and refreshed annually with a yearly or monthly leveling system. We also need to decouple the Season Pass from the rest of the game modes; it should be exclusive to Ultimate Team. Currently, people rarely play Career Mode—they might only play five matches a week on the lowest difficulty just to grind for SP (Season Points). In many cases, they don’t play at all and simply ignore the Season Pass because it’s not worth the effort. Bringing back the Catalog would create a significant balance for everyone.
Modernizing the Web App and Companion
Suggestions for developing the Web App and Companion : Recently, we’ve seen browser extensions (unofficial and prohibited by the company) such as Fut Genie and Paletools. These tools make using the Web App and Companion much easier and allow for completing SBC's seamlessly. We hope the company reviews these ideas and integrates them into the official Web App.
EA Must Add pack animations to the Web App and Companion.
Furthermore, the issue of repeated logins every time the Web App or Companion is opened must be fixed.
The Consistency Crisis: Balancing Feedback
While it’s good that the company cares about player feedback, there must be a foundation or fixed reference points for development. For example, if players say shooting is too powerful, the company nerfs it; then players complain it’s too weak, so the company buffs it again. This cycle is illogical and creates frustration due to a lack of stability. There must always be a consistent point of reference.
In conclusion, I apologize for the length of this article. These are several other topics I have written about but did not mention here in this extensive post.
Fix Rush | EA Forums - 12905406
Evolution suggestion | EA Forums - 13103087
Remove the Silver Icons, They Are Destroying the Game | EA Forums - 13087352
Bring Back the Game We Love | EA Forums - 13087449
