EA Sports invited us to a playtest event for the FIFA 23 successor EA Sports FC 24 in Amsterdam. There, we learned a lot about the innovations in Ultimate Team and even spoke with the developers. Here, we reveal 5 exciting innovations in Ultimate Team in FC 24.
The popular Ultimate Team mode is also returning in FC 24. Although it is now abbreviated as UT instead of FUT (after all, FIFA is being dropped), it brings the same team-building approach that the community is likely to expect.
However, this time Ultimate Team comes with several changes, some of which are quite significant. We show you the most exciting ones here.
With “Evolution” permanently improve your cards
A concept that fans have had on their wish list for ages is the permanent improvement of their cards. Previously, one always had to buy better versions of their favorite players on the transfer market or unlock them through SBCs.
In Ultimate Team of FC 24, that should be different.
This is how “Evolution” works: You promote your selected cards into the “Evolution” system to grant them multiple permanent upgrades.
For example, you can turn a 69-rated silver card into a 77-rated gold card in the first step, and then even upgrade it to a strong 85.
The upgrade path is predetermined for each card.
But it’s not just the overall rating that can receive upgrades. In an interview, Senior Producer Garreth Reader tells us that the following attributes can also be improved through Evolution:
- Skill Moves
- Weak Foot
- Work Rates
- PlayStyles
- Positions
What do you need to do for upgrades? To improve your selected card, you must complete special tasks: scoring, assisting, and so on. If you’ve mastered all the challenges within a certain timeframe, then the card will receive the previously determined upgrade. What the tasks will ultimately look like for the individual cards remains to be seen.
However, there shouldn’t be just two upgrades for a card. During a season change, new upgrade opportunities are also expected to be added. It is also likely that even inform cards can be refreshed in “Evolution” to gain new PlayStyles.
What PlayStyles are exactly, we will explain further down.
Changing positions through “Evolution”: If you decide to improve a player through the new “Evolution” system, it may also mean selecting a new position for your player. For example, a Virgil Van Dijk can become a defensive midfielder through “Evolution”.
However, there are still a few open questions: Is there a limit on cards that can be improved? What is the maximum rating? And will FC points or coins be required for certain upgrades?
We remain curious and hope these questions will be answered soon.
Women make Ultimate Team even more diverse and extensive
As EA confirmed during the official reveal, men and women can enter the virtual pitch simultaneously and play together in FC 24 Ultimate Team. Women are fully integrated into UT, and it is possible to build mixed teams. Female icons and heroes are also included.
An addition that makes Ultimate Team even more diverse and exciting with an additional 1,600 female players.
This is how the chemistry of women in Ultimate Team works: Basically, the chemistry system operates just like before the introduction of female players. The only difference: when you field a female player and a male player from the same club, it brings an extra chemistry point.
This is how the ratings of women and men compare: In an interview, Senior Producer Garreth Reader explains how the ratings of female players compared to men work: “When we looked at men’s and women’s football, we decided to rate them according to the competitions they play in the real world and represent that in Ultimate Team.
We wanted to make sure that players like Sam Kerr or Liam Williamson feel just as they do in the kickoff mode in Ultimate Team.”
PlayStyles make the cards more unique
The probably biggest gameplay innovation of FC 24 compared to FIFA 23 is the new PlayStyles. These are 34 playing styles that are meant to make every player unique.
For example, there is the Power Header PlayStyle, which is designed to make the player even more dangerous with headers. If a player has the Power Header+ PlayStyle, their headers are true rockets.
So, in FC 24, there are three different types of cards in Ultimate Team:
- Cards without PlayStyle
- Cards with PlayStyle
- Cards with PlayStyle+
This means a player can, for example, score a header goal in reality, land in the Team of the Week, and then receive an inform card with the Power Header+ PlayStyle.
A change that promises to finally make the somewhat boring TOTW cards special again.
Icon cards now fit better into your teams
The big change in the chemistry system last year went a bit clumsily and initially brought some problems. The community found it really frustrating that Icon cards no longer easily fit into teams, as they – unlike before – no longer provided extra chemistry to the team.
In FC 24, that will change. Icons will finally bring chemistry again – and for the leagues of the cards in the team. Similar to how it used to be, before FIFA 23.
Position modifiers are finally a thing of the past
To keep it short: position modifiers are finally gone in FC 24. So you no longer have to hunt for these annoying items just to change a player’s position.
In FC 24, you can simply place the cards in any position they can play. This also applies to Draft and SBCs (Squad Building Challenges), which should make completing some tasks much easier.
What do you think of the innovations in Ultimate Team? Are you planning to get into UT? Feel free to let us know in the comments!
If you want to know which players could be among the top 10 in FC 24, then take a look here:
EA Sports FC 24 Ratings: Our prediction for the top 10 players in Ultimate Team
