The packs in Ultimate Team have long been a point of criticism in the FIFA series. In FIFA 22, an important innovation that was meant to make the packs fairer in FIFA 21 returns right at launch.
What does FIFA 22 do differently? EA Sports released some info that describes innovations for Ultimate Team. One important point: The so-called Preview Packs will return in FIFA 22.
These special packs were first introduced with the “Festival of FUTball” in FIFA 21 in June 2021 – quite late in the FIFA season. Many players at that time suspected that this would be more of a closing feature or a test for the Preview Packs that wouldn’t last.
But in FIFA 22, the Preview Packs are coming back. And according to the Pitch Notes, they will be available from the start: “After the positive feedback from fans regarding their introduction in FIFA 21, the Preview Packs will be available in FIFA 22 on PlayStation®4, Xbox One, PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S, Stadia, and PC,” the developers write in their post.
At launch, you can expect the following:
– The Premium Gold Pack will be available for preview with a 24-hour refresh timer alongside the non-preview version.
EA Sports (via Pitch Notes)
– The Premium Silver Pack will be available for preview with a 24-hour refresh timer alongside the non-preview version.
How many other packs will be available as Preview Packs during the season remains to be seen. However, in FIFA 21, there were repeatedly promo packs that could be previewed – it is at least expected that this will also be the case in FIFA 22.
What makes the Preview Packs so important in Ultimate Team
What are Preview Packs actually? The Preview Packs differ in one important point from the “normal” packs: You can see the exact contents of a pack before you buy it. Even the opening and walkout animations can be viewed without having to purchase the pack.
- If the contents are worthwhile because strong players are included, you can buy the pack.
- If the contents are unusable, you set the pack aside. Then the 24-hour timer starts until another Preview Pack is available. During this time, the already opened pack remains available – in case you want it after all.
- If you decide to buy a pack, the next Preview Pack will be available immediately after. The timer will then be skipped.
The price, whether with earned coins or the real money currency “FIFA Points”, does not differ from the normal packs.
Why the preview is so popular: When the feature was introduced, it was immediately popular among players. Because thanks to the preview, you no longer had to buy a pig in a poke. After all, you can’t influence what cards are tucked away in a pack.
Although you still can’t influence that now, it is at least possible to keep the coins or FIFA Points when there’s nothing useful in the pack.
You still need a lot of luck to get good cards. But you don’t lose all the currency you’ve saved up right away, and you can try again later if necessary.
The problem with the packs: So far, the packs in FIFA have caused a lot of criticism – especially due to the gambling factor, which in the worst case can cost money.
Those who have the best cards in Ultimate Team have the advantage – accordingly, the pack system is viewed critically, where you can’t even see if you really get a good card.
Because of this issue, EA Sports has often been criticized. With the Preview Packs, at least a bit more transparency is created. You can read more about the topic here:
Now the Preview Packs will be available for the first time from the start in a FIFA title. How it will affect the game will likely show in the first days after release. It is at least conceivable that the Preview Packs will influence the transfer market in FIFA 22, as players may only buy packs when they are actually worth it.
