In FIFA 21, the points system for Weekend League and Division Rivals has been changed. However, the new system does not seem to work for many players and creates a significant problem.
What system is being discussed? In the “Ultimate Team” mode, there are several ways to earn rewards – for example, through the mode “Division Rivals“. Here, one must achieve as many weekly points through good results as possible. Then, you rank up and receive good rewards once a week. Your rank is always relative to the performance of other players: If they collect more points over the week, they also receive a higher rank, leaving you at the bottom.
This was also the case in previous FIFA titles. However, new in FIFA 21 is that there is a 30-game limit per week in Rivals. Once you have completed those, no further points are counted towards the weekly ranking. Thus, every single game matters, and you must collect as many weekly points as possible per game. An endless grind is no longer possible. This has already caused problems.
What is the problem with Weekend League? So far, it has always been the case that Weekend League games contribute to the weekly Rivals score. In Weekend League, one can also play 30 games, and each of these games brings 400 points towards the Rivals ranking – regardless of the outcome.
Players wondered if this would still apply considering the new Rivals limit of 30 games. If so, Weekend League players, who could theoretically add another 30 games with 400 Rivals points each to the Weekly Rivals limit, would have an advantage.
Now EA Sports has provided an answer to this question.
This is how the new points system in Division Rivals and Weekend League works
EA Sports explained on Twitter how the points allocation in FIFA 21 will work:
It quickly became clear in the thread: No, Weekend League players cannot add points from 30 games again – but the system still creates problems. Let’s look at this in detail:
- In the thread, EA Sports explains that Weekend League games still bring 400 points for the weekly Rivals score.
- This only applies if players have not yet completed their 30 Rivals games.
- Each Weekend League game that brings weekly points counts toward the 30-game limit of Rivals. Once those are used up, no more Rivals points are earned.
- Players who have already completed exactly or more than 30 Rivals games before the Weekend League will not receive weekly points anymore.
Here’s why this is a problem: In Division Rivals, one can earn more than 400 weekly points per game, while the Weekend League – regardless of the outcome of the game – always provides that score. This means: If one were to theoretically play their 30 Weekend League games without having played any Rivals beforehand, they would end up with 12,000 points and would not be able to increase that further over the week.
For players who play only Rivals and accumulate many wins, this could be an advantage. But those who also play in the Weekend League have a problem.
Theoretically, one could collect weekly points in Rivals before the Weekend League. The problem: The Rivals list resets every Thursday morning – so only just under 24 hours before the Weekend League starts. This means that to maximize weekly points, one would theoretically have to play 30 successful Rivals games before the Weekend League. And then another 30 in the Weekend League if they also want the maximum rewards.
That would mean 60 games in Rivals and Weekend League between Thursday and Monday morning. And that would get pretty tight.
Players say: This doesn’t work
This is how the community reacts: In the FIFA subreddit, the change has not been received well at all. The decision to distribute points this way is hardly understandable for most.
- “This makes absolutely no sense, unless they move Rivals Rewards/Refresh to Monday,” comments user ebmarahssimi (via reddit): “This needs to be reworked, otherwise there will be an uprising.”
- “What an absolute joke,” finds another user (via reddit): “If you don’t play all 30 games in Rivals before WL, you will be MASSIVELY disadvantaged if the Rivals rewards are only given for playing WL.”
- “Here’s a solution that takes 30 seconds: Weekend League games no longer count toward progress/rank in Rivals,” suggests another user (via reddit).
Some also suspect that behind this problem lies the reason for the sudden postponement of the first Weekend League and are now speculating about a short-term solution in this way (via reddit).
So far, it is not known whether further changes to the points system or adjustments of the reward days are planned. Overall, however, the current decision is evidently not well received.
The new points system is not the only thing that is causing confusion in FIFA 21. The sudden crash of the transfer market also came as a surprise.
