In the FIFA 18 Ultimate Team mode, players have the option to open packs. Fans hope to pull highly sought-after players. But: Is it worth it at all?
Before you open a set, you should always ask yourself: Do I really want to do this? Opening packs can bring advantages, but also many disadvantages. In this article, we try to clarify how you can make the right decision.
Should I open packs or better not?
If you purchase something in the FIFA 18: Ultimate Team store, you need to understand that you must always give something in return. This can either be coins, which you can earn by playing matches, or FIFA Points, which must be exchanged for real money in the store. Free packs are only available at the beginning when you start FUT, occasionally as gifts in the web app – but otherwise, every set has a price tag.
Normally, transactions proceed as follows: You see something you want; you give the friendly seller the agreed money and in return, you get the desired item. However, in FUT, you don’t know what you have purchased until you open the pack.
In other words: You only see after the transaction whether the deal was profitable for you or simply bad. You need luck.
Opening sets with coins?
You need to earn coins: by completing many matches or trading wisely on the transfer market. It definitely takes time until you have enough coins to open decent gold sets. If you decide to open packs with coins, your expectation is likely:
I want to pull cards whose total value exceeds the price of the pack.
You want to make a profit, of course. Unfortunately, this happens only rarely. Therefore, it is generally a bad idea to invest a lot of time in coins only to throw them away.
Opening sets with FIFA Points?
If you buy packs with FIFA Points, the probability of pulling a highly sought-after player is just as high as when you purchase sets with coins. However, you are not investing in game currency but real money. In rare cases, this can become enormous. Be aware of that! Here you should ask yourself:
Is it really worth it for me to invest real money in packs?
Again, you don’t know what you get for your money. If you are willing to spend money, it makes sense to wait for offers or special sets, as the chances of getting good players are a bit higher then. Unfortunately, there is never a guarantee.
Is there any study on pack opening?
No, there is no official study on this. An individual will never be able to open enough sets to reach a reliable conclusion on whether it’s worth pulling packs.
The site FIFAUTEAM has now opened numerous sets itself and compared its results with the community’s experiences, resulting in:
On average, you get back 60% of the invested value in the sets.
This means if you open a 7500-coin gold set, you get back cards worth around 4500 coins – mind you, on average! EA is happy about the remaining 40%. That’s your loss.
The first conclusion is thus: It is a very bad idea to invest earned coins in sets – unless you are among those who have outrageous luck. If you want to open packs, do it not for profit reasons. It will usually backfire – and all the playtime will be for nothing.
If you, however, just want to open a few packs for fun and dream of a Ronaldo or Messi – and are aware that this scenario is not likely to happen – then spend your coins as you please. The following graphic illustrates the reasons why you should open sets.
In short:
- For fun: Yes, any time!
- For profit reasons: No, unless you are willing to invest real money.
Is EA trying to force me to buy packs?
Yes!
You only become a coin millionaire in FUT if you are lucky enough to pull very good players in packs. Just playing would take forever to exceed the million limit. Therefore, it is the much easier way to open packs and hope for coveted players.
And that’s exactly what EA Sports wants. That you ideally purchase FIFA points for a lot of money and buy packs. They employ quite an aggressive marketing strategy, conveying the impression on social media that it is easy to pull good players. They support some YouTubers who showcase what great things they’ve pulled in their videos.
Since, as previously described, sets mainly lead to losses, fans try their luck again and again. After all, they’ve seen that good cards can come out too. But even YouTubers who are not directly supported by EA like to show when they have pulled good players. They want to share their joy with the world – whether to share their happiness or to make others jealous. Wherever we look, there’s only pack luck!
So why shouldn’t you be lucky once in a while? Just one pack, or two, or three. “The next set will definitely have a Messi!” Be aware of this strategy.
So should I not open packs anymore?
Of course, you should open packs as you please. After all, this is extremely important for the entire mode: without the cards from the sets, there would be no players in circulation, the transfer market would be empty. The whole fun wouldn’t work. But usually, you will lose either playtime or money. Keep that in mind before you open the next set. Maybe you are among the few who really have luck. That does happen. Hope dies last.
What other options do I have to build a good Ultimate Team?
There are other ways to create a good team – unfortunately, none of them are perfect.
- You can save the coins you earn. However, this costs many hours of fun until you can afford the player you want.
Keep in mind: There are numerous players with exceptional attributes that not everyone has on their radar and are quite affordable. Just take a look at the transfer market. - Another option is trading on the transfer market. This can be a very profitable option. However, this method is quite time-consuming and labor-intensive. Since price ranges were introduced, it has been somewhat restricted.
The best advice would be: Just have fun. And if you want to indulge in a pack because you enjoy it, that’s perfectly fine too. Who knows, maybe Cristiano Ronaldo is waiting in the next pack…
Here you can find out the probability of pulling C. Ronaldo or Messi.
