In FIFA 16: Ultimate Team, the winter upgrades are in full swing. We summarize what you need to know about it.
Every FUT gamer who has been tearing their hair out for the last few months because their favorite player inexplicably has poor attributes, even though they perform spectacularly in reality, can anxiously follow: the winter upgrades are coming. The first players were upgraded on February 5.
What are winter upgrades anyway?
Unlike other game modes in FIFA 16, players in Ultimate Team are not automatically adjusted to their current real-life performances. It’s simply not possible to create new cards with various values for thousands of players every few days. Some consistency is expected here as the transfer market would otherwise be flooded with too many cards of the respective player.
Outstanding performances are already recognized through In-Form cards (or other special cards, like TOTY), but most players remain at the values assigned to them at the start of the season.
In the winter upgrades, players who have excelled in the last few months are assigned better player cards. With this, EA aims to respond to current events in the football world and provide an authentic football simulation with FIFA 16.
When do upgrades come in Ultimate Team mode?
Proper upgrades of the standard cards (i.e., TOTW, TOTY, etc. excluded) only happen twice a year:
- once in September when the new FIFA game is released. Here, it is assessed how the respective player has developed during the entire previous season. There are up and downgrades!
- The second period is now, in February: in this winter update, players who stood out in the first half are rewarded with new, improved cards with better attributes.
When exactly do the winter upgrades come?
The winter upgrades 2016 come in four waves. The first was already on February 5, the next will follow on February 12, 19, and 26. Thus, there will be new upgrades every Friday in February. FUT is regularly updated around 7 p.m. our time. From then on, the improved player cards should be found in the packs. This runs parallel to the last winter transfers that EA Sports will still make in the coming days.
How do I get an upgraded player card?
By opening packs or buying them on the transfer market. As players of all qualities (Bronze, Silver, Gold) can receive an upgrade, there is a chance for such a player in all packs that contain players.
Attention: Player cards with the old values can no longer be drawn from packs.
What happens to the old player cards?
Basically, nothing. Standard cards that are already in your club will not be upgraded. Unfortunately, they also lose significant value, which means that a rash sale on the transfer market is rarely worthwhile. If you want the respective player in their upgrade form, you either have to draw them from packs or bid on the transfer market. The situation is different for In-Forms.
What happens to the existing In-Form cards?
If an upgraded player receives similar or better attributes than their existing IF card(s), their IFs also get an upgrade. If this is not the case, the In-Form cards remain as they were. So if you have an IF player in your club whose standard card receives an upgrade, this one will be improved automatically.
An example: Dele Alli from Hotspurs received an upgrade of 5 points to now 72 overall rating. Since his previous IF card already had 72, it will be raised to 74.
By the way: If a player changes quality as part of the upgrade (e.g., from Silver to Gold), the IFs of the Silver tier do not receive an upgrade.
For example, Jack Butland: his current card is Gold, his Silver In-Form card remains Silver.
Why? According to EA, this is to prevent Bronze or Silver teams from being negatively affected. In short: Previous In-Form cards retain their quality color.
How many players will get an upgrade?
This year, there will be around 400 upgrades. That is significantly more than in previous years.
Update: Here is a list of all winter upgrades!
When were the upgrades last year?
In 2015, the winter update was in February, but on the 14th and 15th. This year, the upgrades are coming on four dates spread over the entire February.
Which players receive an upgrade?
These players have already received an upgrade. Which other players, according to EA, have earned new cards is still unknown. However, it is certainly worth looking at which players have many In-Form cards so far. This indicates that EA Sports has recognized that these players have delivered outstanding performances.
What do the winter upgrade cards look like?
They look like the previous cards – they just have better attributes.
Are there downgrades during the winter upgrades?
No. There are downgrades only between the games of the FIFA series.
By how many points can the overall rating increase?
Most gold players receive an upgrade of 1-2 points. Silver and bronze players are often increased by 4 points; in very rare cases, there is an improvement of up to 15 points.
Can I have both card versions of the respective player?
Yes. However, only one of them can play in your team – they cannot be on the pitch together.
What benefit does all this bring me?
The winter upgrades in FIFA 16: Ultimate Team are intended to narrow the gap between the game and the real football world. Furthermore, the new cards shake up the virtual transfer market quite significantly and open up interesting transfer options for you – especially regarding IFs.
These winter upgrades are currently in the game:
- These are the winter upgrades part 1 – featuring Aubameyang and Xhaka!
- In the winter upgrades part 2, expect a strong Lewandowski among others.
- The third batch of winter upgrades is now known, featuring Mesut Özil and Mario Gomez.
- And the last upgrades are now known: with Neymar, Costa, Draxler, and many more!
What about the winter transfers? Find out everything about it here.
